Moment in Time
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: A collection of stories changing one thing, to change the direction of an episode. These will be unrelated, possibly out of order and should not greatly change canon. Chapters will stand alone. As usual, I own nothing, but Castle lives in my dreams. Follow me on twitter @CheerfulChemist
1. Chapter 1

Moment in Time

Always Buy Retail

"Castle, I've only got two rounds left, I need a clear shot." Beckett hissed out as she hid behind the kitchen island.

Castle grabbed a bottle of champagne from a wine chiller. "When you shoot, he shoots," Castle told her. "I'll set the pick, you take the shot. He'll be exposed."

"Set the pick with what?" Beckett asked.

"This," Castle answered, indicating the champagne and untwisting the wire cage that held the cork in place.

"Castle, you're going to get yourself killed!" Beckett exclaimed.

"Not if you make your shot count." Castle popped the cork. Shards flew as Baylor shot. Beckett took Baylor down with her remaining bullets.

"Are you all right, Castle?" Beckett asked

There was no answer for a moment. "I'm not sure," Castle murmured softly.

Sirens screaming in the distance, Beckett turned to see blood seeping through Castle's fingers as he tried to cover a wound on his forehead. "Oh my God! He shot you!"

Castle started to shake his head and thought better of it. "No. Diana's got really top of the line counters here, granite if I'm not mistaken. I just got hit by a piece Baylor knocked loose when he fired. But wow, it hurts!"

Beckett grabbed a towel to staunch the flow of blood. "I'll have the EMTs look at you, Castle."

The EMT's arrived with four uniformed units. Baylor was pronounced dead. They looked in Castle's eyes, bandaged his head and pronounced him OK. Beckett gave a sigh of relief.

"Beckett," Castle said. "Don't tell me you actually care?"

"Care! Do you know how much paperwork I'd have to fill out if something happened to you? But I'm glad you're all right. You probably saved my life."

"Probably!" Castle exclaimed skeptically. "I definitely saved your life, and you know what that means: you owe me."

"Really Castle, what do I owe you?"

"Anything I want, and you know what I really, really, want?"

"I'm afraid to ask," Beckett told him.

"Have dinner with me tonight."

Beckett brushed her fingers against the square of gauze that stood out starkly against his skin. "I guess I owe you that much," she answered.

Castle's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly recovered his swagger. "I'll pick you up at eight."

"Darling, what happened?" Martha cried as Castle came through the door of the loft.

At the kitchen counter, Alexis turned from her laptop to look at her father and hopped off her stool yelling "Dad!" as she ran to him.

"I'm OK, "just a little - shootout!" he exclaimed with a grin.

"Richard, that's not funny," Martha chastised. "You're going to get yourself killed."

"What I've got," Castle told his mother, "is a date with Beckett. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get a shower and change."

Martha and Alexis looked at each other and Martha shook her head. "He's all right, Gram," Alexis reassured her grandmother. "I'll just make sure he doesn't choose a really bad tie."

* * *

Castle pulled the Ferrari up in front of Beckett's building, carefully activating the anti-theft device. His mouth dropped open when she opened her apartment door. Red jersey sheathed her body, covering her to her ankles, yet revealing every curve. Soft curls framed her face and her matching lipstick gave Castle the urge to kiss it away. "Wow!" Castle exclaimed and offered her his arm.

Beckett enjoyed the rush of air against her face as Castle skillfully maneuvered the agile vehicle through traffic. She was amused and pleased that the color of the car matched her dress almost exactly. Beckett was expecting Le Cirque or one of the other trendy spots mentioned when Castle was featured on "Page Six," but Castle parked the car outside a store front with no sign.

A round, ebullient man came to meet them as soon as the bell above the door tinkled. "Ricky!" he exclaimed as they hugged and slapped each other on the back.

"Nice to see you Gino," Castle greeted him. "May I introduce Kate Beckett?"

Gino regarded Kate with obvious appreciation. "You do know how to find the beauties, Ricky," he said. "I have your table all ready."

The table was a booth with high walls, creating a private space. The lighting was comfortably low and the accoutrements were simple, a checkered cloth, a candle in a straw covered bottle and snowy white linen napkins. There was also a single fresh yellow rose in a tiny vase. Without being asked, Gino brought a sumptuous antipasto. Castle stuck a fork into an artichoke heart and offered it to Beckett. "You should try one of these," he suggested, "they're wonderful."

Beckett nibbled the treat off his fork, closing her eyes and savoring the rich flavor. Gino returned to the table with sparkling glasses and the house wine. He filled Beckett's glass, but Castle shook his head saying, "I'm driving."

"Is this some kind of a scam to get me drunk, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"Why Detective Beckett, are you as a police officer, actually suggesting that I operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol?"

"Maybe you're just trying to make sure I don't drive your car," Beckett offered.

"All right Beckett, you got me," Castle agreed, "but if you want sparkling water or a soft drink, Gino can bring it to you."

"The wine is fine," Beckett told him. "Is there a menu?"

"No," Castle explained. "The chef makes a special pasta every night, but if you don't like it, he can make you something else."

Linguine with clams was served in bowls, with a side dish of fresh Mediterranean style vegetables. Gino brought tastings for dessert, tiny slices of cheesecake, lemon cake and tiramisu, each with two forks. While they ate, Gino sang Nessum Dorma in a rich operatic tenor.

Kate felt loose, almost as if she were floating, as Castle led her back to the car. She leaned back and closed her eyes as the night sped past.

"Beckett, we're here," Castle called softly as he stopped in front of her building.

Kate opened her eyes as Castle opened the car door for her. It took all she had to resist leaning on his shoulder on the way to her door. "Good night, Castle," she said, "I had a really good time."

Never losing eye contact, Castle kissed her hand. "So did I, Detective. Tomorrow, then."

"Tomorrow," Kate repeated as Castle walked away.

Kate peeled off her dress slowly, feeling the soft slide of the fabric against her skin. After slipping into the oversized purple shirt she wore to sleep in, she climbed between the sheets of her bed, sitting up against the backboard. Pulling out the drawer of her bedside table, she reached inside, withdrawing a copy of "Stormfall." She opened it to the flyleaf, where Castle had inscribed it, "To Kate Beckett, homicide detective and woman extraordinaire," and ran the tips of her fingers over the ink. Turning out the light, she curled up in bed, the book held tightly against her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

Moment in Time

Tick Tick Tick

"No thanks," Beckett said to Castle's offer of wine.

"No, no, agent Shaw said we need to decompress. Nothing decompresses like a 2000 Chateauneuf-de-Pape," Castle argued, extending the glass.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Well if Special Agent Shaw said so..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Castle asked.

"Nothing," Beckett answered. "I just see the way you listen to her and look at her equipment. It's embarrassing the way you act like a thirteen-year-old oogling her smart board."

"Kate," Castle said, "you don't sound embarrassed, you sound jealous."

Beckett's eyes flashed above a pouty lip."I'm not jealous!" she protested. "It's just that you're building theory with her now. You're supposed to be building theory with me. You're supposed to be my partner. If you have something to say, you should say it to me."

Castle smiled. "Fine, I will. Forget about Agent Shaw." Castle extended a glass to her again. "It's good wine, Kate. It wouldn't hurt you to relax a little."

Beckett shook her head. "I'm going to relax a lot. I'm going to bed, so..."

"I'm not leaving," Castle told her. "There's a guy out there gunning for you because of my book and I'm not leaving you alone."

"I'm too tired to argue," Beckett surrendered. "But I'll have you know Mr. Castle, I sleep with a gun."

"Understood," Castle acknowledged.

Castle poured the contents of Beckett's wine glass into his and sipped it, propped against pillows on the couch. The sounds of the city quieted as it grew late. Placing his glass on the table, Castle returned to the couch to close his eyes. Moans, then a scream, broke threw the barrier of the bedroom door. Castle was up and through it, giving no thought to the gun Kate might train on him.

Kate tossed on the bed, her hair damp with sweat. "No!" Kate yelled. "Not again! Please, not again!"

"Kate, wake up!" Castle called, pushing the moist strands from her forehead.

Kate's hand closed around the handle of the gun under her pillow, even before her eyes flew open.

Castle found a gun aimed at his chest with Kate's finger on the trigger. "Kate!" he yelled. It's me!"

Kate's eyes met the mixture of concern and terror in Castle's. "Castle, what are you doing here? I could have shot you."

Castle gently laid his hand over the hand in which Kate grasped her gun, easing it downward. "You were screaming," he told her. "Bad dream?"

"Yeah," Kate admitted. "My mother was on the ground, but it wasn't her, it was me. Coonan was there, and he had a knife. He was bringing it toward me. Then there was someone else, faceless, with a gun. I could see his finger squeeze the trigger, as if it was in slow motion, then I heard someone calling me. Was that you?"

Castle nodded. "Some dream. Remind me, next time I wake you up, to wear my vest."

Kate smiled. "Deal."

"Think you can go back to sleep now?" Castle asked. "You want me to tell you a bedtime story?"

Kate snorted. "One of your stories would probably keep me awake, just from annoyance, but can you just stay a minute?"

"I think I can make that sacrifice," Castle told her.

Castle sat on the side of the bed, watching Kate as her breathing slowed, but her face had not quite relaxed in slumber. "She's probably going to kill me for this," Castle whispered to himself as Kate began to whimper softly. He lay beside her on the bed, pulling her body against his in the circle of his arms.

Kate could feel the warmth against her back. Slowly her muscles released a tension she didn't know she had. In a cocoon of comfort, she slipped into deep sleep.

Kate awoke to find herself alone. She would have thought she'd dreamed Castle had held her through the night, but the bed next to her was still warm. "You're still here," she said, wandering into the kitchen where Castle was at the stove, "and you're making pancakes."

"I was thinking bacon and eggs but your eggs are expired and your bacon has something furry growing on it," Castle told her cheerily. "I had to get creative to make pancakes without eggs, but one of Alexis' friends has an egg allergy and I think I remembered the recipe I used for her. We'll find out. Coffee's almost ready but it might be a little strong. I think your filter's broken. I'll order you a new one later. Have a seat."

"We don't have much time, Castle," Beckett protested halfheartedly as she breathed the sweet scent wafting from the griddle.

Castle consulted his watch. "We'll be fine. It's not even seven yet. You need energy to function." He put a plate in front of Beckett, who smiled in delight. "Elephants!" she exclaimed.

"When I make them for Alexis, I make happy faces," Castle explained, "but you don't have any chocolate chips, so I took a cue from your knickknacks."

"They're cute, Castle," Beckett told him. "Thanks."

Castle sat down with his own plate. "Don't thank me until you taste them," he said. "These could be alien mutant elephants."

Beckett took a tentative bite. "No, they're good, Castle." Beckett consumed Mommy, Daddy, and Baby elephant before putting down her fork. "Castle, about last night," she began.

"Don't worry about it," he told her. "I wake Alexis up from nightmares all the time. It's no big deal, although Alexis has never pointed a gun at me."

"That's not what I meant," Beckett told him. "I don't want you to think, I mean I didn't, we didn't..."

"Kate, I get it," Castle told her. "Nothing happened. Nothing is different than it was yesterday."

Kate sighed, trying to convince herself it was a sigh of relief.

"You know," Castle said, looking around the kitchen, "we have everything except the paper. I'll get it."

"Castle, we don't have time to read the paper," Beckett told him. "We have a body to find."

Castle opened the door and the body fell in. "Beckett," he said, "I think the body just found us."

Suddenly Detective Beckett was all business again - except for the questions that kept poking at the edge of her consciousness: why had it felt so good to lie in Castle's arms and why couldn't she stop thinking about doing it again.

A/N Next has to be Boom, right?


	3. Chapter 3

Moment in Time

Boom

"He cares about you, Kate," Agent Shaw said, as she and Beckett gazed at Castle shaking hands in Captain Montgomery's office. "You may not see it, you may not be ready to, but he does."

"This thing with Castle," Beckett replied. "It's complicated."

"Ah," Shaw said with a knowing smile as she walked away.

Castle slid into his chair next to Beckett's desk, So, ready to go?"

"Go where?" Beckett asked.

"Back to my loft. Where else would you go? Your apartment is in ruins."

"I was thinking about a hotel," Beckett told him.

"In Manhattan? On a cop's salary? C'mon, Kate, stay with me, at least until you get some insurance money. You can cook. You already know your way around my kitchen."

"So you've got an ulterior motive, Castle," Beckett accused.

"You've found me out, Detective," Castle agreed. "Shall we?" he asked, offering an elbow.

Beckett reluctantly hooked her arm through his and they left the precinct.

* * *

Despite the discussion of Beckett's culinary skills, Castle and Beckett picked up burgers and shakes at Remy's on the way back to the loft. Castle noticed that Beckett rose from the table slowly and gingerly. "Kate, you've been blown up and beat up. There's a Jacuzzi in my bathroom. Why don't you take a soak and go to bed?" Castle suggested gently.

"I don't want to invade your space, Castle," Kate protested. "I can just take a shower upstairs."

"Kate, you're not invading, I'm inviting. I won't look, I promise. There's a robe on the bathroom door. It should cover almost every inch of you."

"Why do I think that in your next book Nikki Heat's going to be lounging in a Jacuzzi?" Kate asked with a smile.

"Oooh, I hadn't thought about that," Castle told her, "but it's a good idea. Of course I'd have to put Rook in there with her."

"Don't even think about it, Castle," Kate warned.

Castle raised his hands and shook his head. "I'll be good."

* * *

Kate closed her eyes and let the warm swirling waters sooth her. There were advantages to having a best selling author as a shadow, or whatever he really was. Afraid that she'd fall asleep and slip under the water if she stayed any longer, she reached for the luxuriantly soft robe that Castle had left on a hook. Burying her nose in the collar and inhaling the spicy scent that was uniquely Rick, she wrapped it tightly around her body, the softness almost a caress. The full sized figure of Boba Fett looming over her should have been creepy, but it wasn't. It was such pure Castle, it made Kate feel strangely safe.

"Great, huh! What did I tell you?" Castle asked as Kate returned to the dining area, "I made hot chocolate. You want whipped cream or marshmallows?"

"I thought I was supposed to be cooking for you, Castle," Kate told him.

Castle gave Kate a lopsided grin. "You have the evening off, but I'm looking forward to another one of your breakfasts. We had to go save Agent Shaw before I could finish the last one."

"Prepare to be amazed," Kate told him, dropping three marshmallows into her hot chocolate.

* * *

Rubbing his eyes, Castle arrived in the kitchen in a t shirt and sweat pants, exclaiming "I smell the bacon!"

Alexis was fully dressed for school and sitting at the counter eating a waffle with fresh strawberries. "Dad, I think Detective Beckett's waffles are better than yours!"

"Impossible," Castle replied, trying to steal a piece of waffle off Alexis' plate.

Beckett smacked the back of his hand with a spatula. "I'll give you one of your own in a minute. Coffee's almost ready too."

Alexis hopped from her stool. "Gotta go Dad, bye Detective Beckett." After giving her father a quick peck on the cheek, she was out the door.

"How about you, Beckett? Do you need to go to the precinct today?" Castle asked.

"Not unless a body drops," Beckett answered. "I thought I'd go back to my apartment and see what I can salvage."

"You want some company?" Castle asked. "You can use me as a pack horse. My mother, my daughter, and both of my wives did. You're also welcome to use my washer."

"Thanks, Castle," Beckett told him. "I may take you up on that."

* * *

The surfaces in the apartment were covered in a thin layer of black. Kate looked around bleakly at the ruined accumulation of her life. As the enormity of her loss hit, she swiped at the tears overflowing her eyes, leaving black streaks on her cheeks. "Kate," Castle murmured softly, "let's see what we can save."

The closet doors had been closed, shielding the contents from the worst of the damage. Boxes of pictures and papers from Johanna Beckett were untouched. The clothes reeked of smoke, but showed no signs of burning or melting. Castle was true to his word, helping Beckett carry everything she wanted to take. The trunk and back seat of Castle's Mercedes were filled to overflowing, as they navigated their way back to the loft, with a stop at a dry cleaner on the way. Castle snagged his doorman, who raised an inquiring eyebrow at Castle, to help unload the car and get things into the loft. Beckett spotted the maneuver and glared. Castle caught the man's eye and shook his head.

"Your doorman thinks you have a new live-in girlfriend, Castle," Beckett said with an edge in her voice, when they finally got the last of her things through the door of the loft.

"I wish," Castle muttered under his breath.

"What?" Beckett asked.

"I set him straight, Kate. Don't worry about it."

Beckett made a late lunch while the washer and dryer spun. By late afternoon, her clothes were sweet smelling and neatly folded into storage containers Castle had brought up from the basement. Beckett mournfully surveyed the pile of boxes by the door that held what remained of her life. Castle followed her gaze. "Kate, the important stuff survived, your mother's things, your mementos, the rest can be replaced."

Beckett shook her head. "Not everything."

"Wait," Castle told her. "I have something for you." He went to his office and returned placing a tiny bag in front of her. "What's this?" she asked.

"Open it," Castle told her. "I found it in the wreckage the day your apartment blew and had it fixed."

A smile lit Beckett's face. "My father's watch. Thank you."

"You know," Castle told her, taking her hand, "you've got all your old memories, now it's time to make some new ones."


	4. Chapter 4

Moment in Time

Wrapped up in Death

Cacaw Te whispered in Castle's ear.

"Really?" Castle asked, wrinkling his nose and absently rubbing his back.

Cacaw Te nodded. "And one more thing. I wouldn't say no to a ride to the airport."

Castle shifted uncomfortably in his seat all the way back from Kennedy International. "What's the matter, Castle?" Beckett asked. "Worried about your ritual to break the curse?"

"That too," Castle answered, "but my back still hurts from your collapsing chair gag."

"Seriously?" Beckett asked skeptically, pulling into a slot in the lot at the 12th.

"Seriously," Castle affirmed.

Beckett saw no trace of the usual tells that he was joking. "Let me see," Beckett said.

Castle shifted in his seat so that Becket could reach his back. Pulling up his jacket and shirt, she could see an angry splotch of purple. "You weren't kidding," she said. "Put your seat belt back on."

"Where are we going?" Castle asked.

To get you an X-ray," Beckett told him.

* * *

Beckett popped out of her chair in the waiting area of the emergency room as Castle approached. "What did they say?" she asked.

"They told me to get my affairs in order."

"What?" Beckett exclaimed, her face blanching."

"Got you!" Castle started to laugh and winced. "No, it's just a hairline fracture on my rib. The doctor said it would heal on it's own. They just gave me a prescription for pain pills."

"Castle, I am so sorry. I never meant for you to get hurt."

"You can make it up to me," Castle suggested."

Beckett's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"Help me with the ritual to break the curse."

"This doesn't involve human sacrifice, does it?" Beckett asked cautiously.

"No," Castle answered, "but we do need to get some chicken blood."

Beckett rolled her eyes.

* * *

Beckett surveyed the altar Castle had set up in the center of the loft with a stone statue of Kan Xul. "I can't believe I'm doing this," she moaned.

"Beckett, you owe me," Castle reminded her.

"All right, what do you want me to do?"

"Starting at midnight, I have to apologize to Kan Xul and offer him some blood, every hour until sunrise. I just need you to keep me up."

"Keep you up, Castle?"

"Awake. Detective Beckett, I never..."

"Castle, I'm quite sure you have, many times, but fine."

Castle made his first offering to Kan Xul and pulled out a deck of cards. Marathon poker, Beckett?" he asked.

"Bring it on!" she replied.

The game went back and forth as Castle and Beckett accurately read each others' tells. After two hours and two offerings, they each had the same number of chips in front of them as they had started with. "We could try strip poker." Castle suggested.

"In your dreams," Beckett told him.

"Dreaming is just what I'm trying to avoid," Castle replied, "although I've had that one several times. How about if you tell me a story?"

"I tell _you_ a story? Castle, making things up is your area."

"So don't make anything up. Tell me about young Beckett. What was her life like, growing up? What did you do in the summer?"

"My Dad has a cabin upstate. Every summer we'd go up there for a couple of weeks. I'd leave in the morning with a PB & J in my pocket and be gone for the whole day, hiking, swimming, whatever I wanted. Of course my Dad couldn't miss baseball, so we'd listen to games on the radio together. My mom liked to fish and she'd cook whatever she caught. It was great! What about you, Castle?"

"It was different every year, depending on whether Mother was in summer stock or not and to whom she was married. Some summers I got to run around on the beach at the Hamptons. Some I was with some maniac sitter in the city and some I had to stay at boarding school."

Unconsciously, Kate stroked the back of Castle's hand. "That sounds lonely."

"Well, that's where my imagination came in," he told her. "I could go anywhere, be anyone. I went through a Pirate stage and a Star Wars stage."

"You're still in that one," Beckett commented.

"Point taken," Castle agreed. "Then of course there was Indiana Jones."

"Which is why we're sitting here trying to break a curse," Beckett finished.

"Point taken again," Castle told her, "but my imagination got me through some pretty rough times."

"Your imagination got me through some pretty rough times too," Beckett whispered so softly as to be inaudible.

"What?" Castle asked.

"Nothing," Beckett replied. "How about a movie marathon? We could watch slasher flicks. That should make Kan Xul happy."

"It probably would," Castle agreed. "You're on, as soon as I make popcorn."

"Let's start with 'Psycho,'" Castle suggested. "If we time it right, maybe we can get the blood going down the drain just in time for the sacrifice."

Beckett laughed and shook her head. "You would think of that, Castle. Fine with me." It took a little rewinding, but Castle got Beckett to time the shower scene to his ritual.

Beckett got the next choice. She was not surprised to find that Castle had a huge collection of movies, including many she had never heard of. "Who is Ellie Monroe and What is 'Viper Mountain?'" she asked. "Is it about a woman with, uh, obvious assets, driving a fast car?"

This time Castle rolled his eyes. "No it's about a mountain full of snakes. Ellie gets eaten by one, very artfully I might add."

"I'm sure," Beckett muttered. "How about 'Halloween?'"

"A true classic. I applaud your taste, Beckett." Castle made his last offering and the first streaks of pink were appearing in the sky as Michael Myers fell from the second story balcony after the heroic Jamie Lee Curtis turned the tables.

"I guess that's it, Castle," Beckett said. "The curse is broken and I'm going home."

"Beckett, wait. At least let me make you some breakfast before you go."

"All right, Castle. I could really use some coffee."

"Coming right up!" Castle called as he loaded the machine.

Beckett settled back on the couch and closed her eyes.

Mugs in hand, Castle headed back to the couch. "Beckett, I brought your coffee. I put a little vanilla..." Castle caught sight of Kate's sleeping form. Relaxed in repose, she looked indescribably beautiful. "Coffee later," he murmured softly. Putting down both mugs, he watched her soft breathing for a moment, then gently brushed the hair from her face and tucked a throw around her. "Sleep tight, Kate," he whispered and kissed her forehead so lightly that she would never know.

Kate smiled in her sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Moment in Time

The Late Shaft

"You want to take a victory lap to grab a burger?" Beckett asked.

"Sure," Castle replied. "Alexis won't be home until morning."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Always," Castle told her.

Beckett closed her eyes and savored her strawberry shake. When she opened them, Castle was watching her.

"What?" she asked.

"It's just fun to see the way you enjoy that. I like to see you smile."

"You haven't been smiling much today. Are you disappointed about Ellie Monroe?" Beckett asked.

"A little," Castle answered, "but she proved her acting chops and I had fun. It's actually about Hank McPhee. He and Bobby Mann were friends forever. They fought in a war together. For Hank to kill him over a job, that just bothers me. Friendship should be worth more than that."

"Haven't you ever had a friend betray you, Castle? It hurts."

"I haven't really had that many friends, not life long friends," Castle confessed. "I was in so many schools, and then once I made it as an author, people were fans, but that's not the same as friends."

"No, it isn't," Beckett agreed. "I had a gang I hung out with at Stuyvesant. We had a great time together. I lost touch with some of them when I went to Stanford and then when my mother was killed..."

"You pulled away." Castle finished.

"Beckett," Castle proposed, "will you be my friend?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. "I'll probably regret this, but yes, Castle, I'll be your friend."

"So what do friends do?" Castle asked.

Beckett took the last sip of her shake. "Follow me."

"Where are we going, Beckett?'

"You'll see when we get there."

Beckett led the way to a playground. "My friends and I used to do this all the time," she told Castle, as they approached the merry-go-round. "If it was early and the little kids were here, we'd push it for them, so they could go faster. If it was later, we'd really get it going and jump on and see how long the ride would last."

"You could get on and I could push," Castle suggested.

"No, let's both push and both jump on."

The wind rushed through their hair as the wheel spun. Beckett let hers fly while Castle self- consciously tried to finger comb his back in place. Beckett shook her head. "Just let it go, Castle. You don't need perfect hair." They rode five times before, with slightly tired shoulders, Beckett led the way to the next thing.

"You want me to go down the slide?" Castle asked. "I don't think I'll fit."

Beckett walked around him regarding his assets. "You may be right Castle."

"Are you saying I have a big butt?" Castle protested.

Beckett gave him a teasing smile. "No, I'm saying you have a nice one, but it's in proportion to the rest of you."

"I can catch you," Castle proposed. "I used to do that for Alexis all the time."

"I doubt that I'll need it," Beckett told him. "But you can spot me." Beckett seated herself at the top of the play equipment and slid down several times. Deciding on a change up, she lay on her stomach and came down head first, right into Castle's arms. He held her for a moment as she almost fell into the deep ocean of his eyes. Heat rose between their bodies as their lips were inches apart. A car horn blared from the street and they remembered where they were.

Castle set Beckett down gently on the grass and cleared his throat. "What next?" he asked.

"See-saw," Beckett told him. "You need to sit closer to the center so we balance," she instructed.

"Beckett, I do know how a lever works," Castle retorted. "Lots of my characters use crowbars."

"Of course they do, Castle. I forgot for a moment how familiar you are with second story men. Just get on."

Both Beckett's and Castles legs were too long for the ride to be much fun, and they tired quickly. The only thing left was the swings. "Pushing a swing is something I'm good at," Castle informed Beckett. "Alexis could go for hours imagining that she was a fairy flying over some magic kingdom. She just needed me to keep her in the air."

"I can keep myself in the air, Castle," Beckett told him. "We can swing together." They swung side by side, Beckett pumping hard to reach ever greater heights and Castle keeping time with her motion. Finally Castle slipped from his swing to give Beckett the push she needed to soar. "You're right, Castle!" Beckett exclaimed breathlessly, "I can really fly with you at my back.

"I'll always have your back, Beckett," he told her. "That's what friends are for."

With a triumphant cry, Beckett jumped from the swing in mid-air, landing laughing in the grass. Castle sat beside her. "We played on everything here. Where do we go now?"

"My friends and I always liked to go out for swirly cones, but there's no place good for that around here anymore."

"I know a place," Castle said.

* * *

"Castle, what are we doing at your loft?" Beckett asked.

"Behold!" Castle told her, pulling a piece of equipment from storage beneath the counter. "A soft ice cream maker. See it not only makes soft serve, but mixes in three different kinds of condiments automatically."

Beckett's eyes crinkled at the corners. "Do you have sprinkles?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Castle answered, bringing out a container and filling a bin in the machine. "You want a cone or a bowl?"

Beckett happily licked her cone, attacking each sprinkle with the tip of her tongue. Castle watched her with appreciation as he dug into his double sized sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream and double cherries. He gave one cherry to Beckett, saying, "friends share."

Castle filled two flutes with perfectly chilled champagne. "This you couldn't do as kids, or at least not legally. To friends," he said, lifting his glass."

"To friends," Beckett echoed. The crystal rang as she touched her glass to his.

The glasses were drained and Beckett gave a little yawn. "Can I walk you home?" Castle asked.

"That would be nice," Beckett agreed. Castle offered his arm and they walked the few blocks to the temporary sublet Beckett was occupying while she pursued the search for a new apartment.

"Good night, friend," Castle said, extending his hand for Beckett to shake.

Beckett took it as his large fingers encased her smaller ones. "Good night Castle."

Castle walked home, whistling.


	6. Chapter 6

Moment in Time

Under the Gun

Castle watched as Beckett took down the evidence from the murder board. "Can I just say how unsatisfying it is to go on a treasure hunt with no treasure."

"Well it wasn't really a treasure hunt, Castle," Beckett responded, "it was a murder investigation."

Castle snorted. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me your weren't just a little bit excited."

Beckett's mouth just barely quirked at the corners. "Maybe a little."

"Ah," Castle said, returning her smile. "What's bugging me, though, is if there was no treasure, then why make a map?"

"Well it's a big cemetery," Beckett speculated. "Maybe Lloyd got the spot wrong or maybe 'under the gun' was just to throw us off."

"You know," Castle told her, "if it was me, I would have left something out of the map, a last step. I would have kept it close to me, like there," Castle said pointing to a picture of Lloyd's tattoo.

"You think that's the final part of the map?" Beckett asked.

"Why else would he have it?" Castle asked. "I read this as two rows up and six stones over from where we dug. Care to do some digging, Detective?"

Kate smiled and put out a hand for Castle to lead the way.

* * *

Castle soon found that digging for buried treasure was much more fun in theory than in practice. His shoulders were sore and his hands were blistered. Beckett didn't complain, but her face was smeared with dirt and her shirt stuck tightly to her body with sweat. She had a look of solemn determination on her face.

"Thinking about Royce?" Castle asked.

"Mmm," Beckett answered.

"It's hard to see your heroes fall, or is it something more than that? Kate, did you really tell Royce that you were in love with him just to keep him on the phone?"

"No," Kate admitted, "but if you tell Ryan and Esposito, you'll never live to tell anyone anything again. I was drowning. I was obsessed with my mother's murder and no one understood that except Mike, at least until I met Captain Montgomery. Mike was my rock. He kept me from going under. I loved him for that. I couldn't handle the case anymore when he was gone. You know how I was when you came. I couldn't even go near my mother's murder without falling apart."

"But you can now," Castle offered.

Kate smiled. "I guess I've got a new rock, even if the rocks are in his head."

Castle's shovel clanged against something. Beckett immediately joined him and they used their hands to clear the dirt away. They found what appeared to be a small metal toolbox. Castle drew it out of the ground and stared at it.

"Aren't you going to open it?" Beckett asked.

"I'm savoring the moment," Castle told her. Then he tried. "Also the latch is rusted shut. We'll need something to pry it open."

Beckett drew a knife from her pocket and flipped it open. "I forgot you have that," Castle said, "your 'Miami Vice' knife."

"My NYPD knife," Beckett told him, inserting the blade under the hasp. The knife slipped, putting a gash in her left hand. "Damn!" she exclaimed.

"Let me see that," Castle told her, grabbing her hand to examine it. "That's pretty deep, and dirty. Do you have a first aid kit in your car?"

Beckett nodded. "In the trunk."

"Here," Castle said, wrapping his handkerchief around her hand, "until we get there."

Castle picked up both shovels and the treasure box. "I can carry my own shovel," Beckett protested.

"I swear," Castle told her, "you are the most stubborn person I've ever known, and considering my mother, my daughter, and my ex-wives, that's saying something. Take your shovel."

By the time they made it to the car, the bleeding had slowed. The first aid kit was city issue and stocked for most emergencies. Castle cleaned the cut and bandaged it. "That's probably the cleanest thing on either one of us right now," he commented.

"We can clean up later," Beckett told him. "Right now we need to see if there's anything in that box, and turn it in if there is."

Castle gave her a knowing look. "Why Detective Beckett, you are excited about the treasure."

"I'm just curious," Beckett retorted.

"I've got all kinds of tools at the loft. Probably some WD-40 and a screwdriver will satisfy your - curiosity," Castle told her.

Castle and Beckett came through the door of the loft to the wide eyes of Martha and Alexis. Martha regarded the dirt caked on both of their clothes. "have you two been digging for treasure again?" she asked.

Castle nodded.

Alexis looked at the toolbox. "Did you find it?"

"We're going to find out," Beckett told her.

The lid of the box was finally flipped back, revealing the cache of rubies and sapphires.

Martha and Alexis leaned in for a look. "Just exquisite," Martha gushed.

"Wow!" Castle exclaimed.

"Don't get too attached, Castle," Beckett told him. "They're going into evidence at the precinct and then they'll be returned to the rightful owners."

"You do know how to spoil the fun, Beckett," Castle told her. "Can I at least take some pictures and shower and change before we go?"

"Knock yourself out, Castle," Beckett agreed.

* * *

The paperwork was complete and Beckett had showered and put on fresh clothes from her locker. She and Castle cleared the last picture of Malcolm Lloyd from the murder board and erased it. "Well, Detective," Castle said, "the mystery is solved and your sworn duty is done, how about a celebratory drink?"

"You're on, Castle," Beckett replied.

* * *

Castle and Beckett sat at the bar with cold beers and a basket of wings between them. "What's going to happen to Royce?" Castle asked.

"I don't know, he did kidnap a suspect," Beckett said. "Since he had paperwork to capture him as a bounty hunter, he can probably bargain it down. At the very least, he'll lose his license in New York."

"Could he go somewhere else?" Castle asked.

"Maybe," Beckett answered. "He was always talking about wanting to live in California. I really don't want to talk about Mike anymore. Tell me about how you figured out the folding on the map."

"Mad Magazine, the back covers."

Beckett's eyes lit up. "By Al Jaffee, of course. I love those things!"

"That has got to be the new hottest thing you've ever said to me," Castle told her. "Remember the Wall-E that turned into TMZ?"

"And the one about Guitar Hero?" Beckett continued excitedly.

"You know," Castle told her, "I have the four volume hardcover set. Do you want to see it?"

Beckett grinned. "Lead the way.


	7. Chapter 7

Moment in Time

Almost Famous

"Yo, Check this out," Esposito said coming to the murder board. "Fortune 500 lists Rebecca Dalton's husband as having a publishing empire in 2005. Says here that Rebecca used to be a runway model."

Castle grinned. "She's married. Juicy."

"Mm-mm, not anymore," Esposito informed him. Her husband died a couple of years ago, left his entire fortune to his grieving wife."

Castle's eyes sparkled. "Even more juicy. Rebecca marries young, spends her 20's and 30's under the thumb of a rich yet domineering husband. Well, he dies, leaving our aging beauty finall free from the shackles of a loveless marriage. One night she's out with her ex-model posse. She meets a very charming, very handsome Derek. Well, for the first time in years she feel a live again. The relationship reaches its inevitable conclusion when Derek meets someone closer to his own age. Well, the - heartache has Rebecca so distraught that she kills Derek in a jealous rage. If she couldn't have him, well then, no one could."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Thank you for your always entertaining stories, Castle, but I think we'll get a lot closer to the truth if we just ask Rebecca a few questions in the morning."

"We don't have to wait until the morning to gather information, Beckett," Castle told her.

"What do you mean, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"We can meet up with Rebecca's old posse. There's a fundraiser in the garment district tonight. Castigliano's son died of a drug overdose and the industry is rallying around to raise money for better treatment. Anybody who is or was anybody in the fashion world will be there. I can can get us in."

"Let me guess, Castle. You know a guy."

Castle smirked. "Not a guy, but I can get us in. How about it Beckett, or do you and Josh have plans?"

"Josh is on shift tonight, but how about Gina?"

"She's at a publishing convention. Come on, Beckett. This isn't a date, it's undercover work. I went to the strip club with you to find Hans Von Mannschaft."

"Yes, I know how you suffered having all those women swarming around you, Castle, but all right, I'll go with you to the fundraiser."

* * *

Beckett glumly surveyed the closet in her temporary housing. Despite the rescue of most of her clothes from the inferno that had been her apartment, she knew there was nothing appropriate except the dress Castle had bought for her the last time they went undercover with the glitterati. She hoped he wouldn't tease her about wearing it again. She did pick a different shawl, of smooth red silk with an oriental dragon embroidered on it. She also chose her highest heeled strappy red sandals, showing off red painted toenails. Her legs would give any model in the room a run for their money. She had a purse that she could hang by a thin gold chain from her shoulder, which would just accommodate her badge and small back-up gun. After emphasizing her lips with Mistress Red, for the sole purpose of driving Castle crazy, she was ready to go.

Castle knocked at the door, instantly smiling at the sight of her. "I've wanted to see you in that dress again," he said. "It suits you."

"Is that a compliment to me or your taste in picking out the dress?" Beckett asked, suppressing a look of appreciation for Castle, in a tuxedo that flatteringly emphasized the breadth of his shoulders.

Castle's eyes crinkled at the corners as he cocked his head to the side, regarding her. "Both." He offered Beckett his arm.

* * *

The affair was a kaleidoscope of dazzling dresses and even more dazzling jewels. Castle knew and had actually dated many of the models, a fact that Beckett found irritating, if useful. He worked the room expertly, encouraging the revelation of whatever tidbits of gossip he could. After the third model slipped him her phone number, Beckett retired to the ladies room.

Sitting at a vanity, ostensibly to repair her make-up, but mostly killing time, Beckett overheard a conversation.

"I see that Rebecca Dalton is among the missing tonight," an aging but very well maintained blonde observed.

"I heard she had a break up with that boy toy of hers," an equally well maintained redhead remarked cattily.

"Oh, Derek," the blonde replied. "I heard she dropped him. I wonder why? He was cute."

"He probably asked her for money," the red head speculated. "Sooner or later they always do."

The blonde tittered. "I would have just given it to him. He looked like he was worth every dollar, if you know what I mean."

"Well she's got pride," the red head said. "I respect her for that."

"Pride won't keep you warm at night," the blonde opined, "but whatever floats her boat."

Beckett sat for a moment after the other occupants of the room left, then returned to the party.

Castle was standing at the bar sipping champagne. "You want some, Beckett?" he asked. "It's the good stuff."

Beckett shook her head. "Run out of models to charm, Castle?"

"No, just taking a breather. It's exhausting being the object of so much admiration."

Beckett rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head. "Of course it is, Castle. Did you find out anything useful?"

"Not much," Castle admitted. "Most of the ladies I was talking to are younger than Rebecca's friends, although a couple did note that it was strange that she isn't here. Apparently she still does the whole fashion circuit. How about you?"

"Maybe," Beckett said. "I heard some gossip in the ladies room."

"You have the ultimate advantage," Castle noted, "you can go where no man can follow."

"Really Castle? I seem to remember you following me."

"I wasn't following you," Castle told her, "I was following my book. Did you enjoy reading page 105?"

"Probably not nearly as much as you enjoyed writing it. But you do have a talent for fantasy."

"Thank you," Castle said. "At least you think I have a talent for something. Are you about ready to go?"

"Yeah, it's getting late."

It took a few moments for Castle to get a cab. The temperature had dropped and Beckett's shawl offered little protection. Castle slipped off his jacket and put it around her shoulders. Beckett could feel the warmth of his body and smell his spicy scent as she gathered it around her. The cab ride wasn't long enough and Castle soon delivered her to her door.

Beckett slipped of Castle's jacket and held it out to him. "Tomorrow, Castle?"

"Tomorrow, Detective."


	8. Chapter 8

Moment in Time

Close Encounters of the Murderous Kind

Beckett wasn't sure where she was, but she recognized the blue shirt that matched the blue eyes. Her head was on Castle's shoulder. She looked up just as he was looking down and their gazes locked for just a moment. "Are you all right Castle?" she asked.

Castle looked at her neck and felt his own. "Do I have a...?" Castle asked. "Cause you have a…."

Beckett regarded the mark on her neck in the rear view mirror. "Oh no, they drugged us. I think my battery's been drained. I don't have any bars, do you?" she asked pulling out her phone.

Castle consulted his own phone. "No, is the car battery still dead too?"

Beckett turned the key to a clicking sound. "I guess we start walking," she said.

The road was dark and deserted. "This would make a great setting for bad things to happen in one of my books," Castle said, "except that they already have."

"We'll be fine, Castle," Beckett said. "At least you know we weren't kidnapped by aliens."

"And shadowy government agents is better?" Castle asked. "I think I'd prefer the little gray men."

"At least we know we're not far from civilization," Beckett said. "This is New Jersey, not the middle of the desert somewhere. There should be a car along eventually. Shhh, I think I hear something."

Beckett moved away from the edge of the road toward the center, where she could be seen. "Stay back, Castle," she said. "I want him to stop."

"How do you know he'll stop for you?" Castle asked.

Beckett gave a self-satisfied smile. "Cars have always stopped for me."

A large SUV came into view, but showed no signs of slowing down. Beckett waved, but had to jump back, taking Castle with her into a water-filled ditch at the side of the road. "Damn!" Beckett exclaimed, running wet hands down her soaked clothing.

"Maybe you're losing your touch," Castle quipped before catching sight of Beckett's glare in the moonlight. "Or maybe his brakes failed. So what do we do now?"

Beckett gave a disgusted sigh. "We keep on walking."

Trudging down the road, dirty and dripping, Castle pointed to the vague outline on a building in the distance. "Beckett, what's that?"

"Let's find out."

"Looks like an abandoned motel," Castle said as they approached.

The door was locked but Beckett pulled a set of lock picks from her pocket. "It's nice to know that you come prepared," Castle told her.

The building was dark except for the faint illumination that came through the windows. An old style phone sat on the registration counter. Beckett picked up the receiver. "Dead," she reported.

"Look," Castle told her pointing to a bowl full of matchbooks next to the phone. "This place is old. You sure don't see those anymore. I wonder if they still work?" After a few tries, Castle was successful in producing a flame. "Now we just need something to burn - besides my fingers," he said waving his hand around as the match fell to the floor, where he stepped on it. He looked around the room. "Beckett, there's actually a fireplace and there's still some wood next to it."

"Let's just hope nothing's taken up residence in the chimney," Becket replied.

There were logs, but no tinder or kindling, so Castle shredded up some ancient magazines from a table in the lobby, and after a good deal of effort got a blaze going, without too much smoke filtering back into the room. "At least we can dry off," he said.

The fire helped, although their clothes dried stiff with soil. "Castle, we need to get out of here," Beckett told him.

"Why," Castle asked,"to get run down by another car? Kate, why don't you just relax a little? Enjoy the fire. We can get out of here in the morning."

They sat side by side, until the flicker of the flames lulled them to sleep. Beckett awoke to find herself tucked under Castle's arm with her head pillowed against his side. Aside from the musty smell of ditch water, it was nice, and she felt in no hurry to move. She examined his face. Relaxed in in sleep, it was not so much rugged as just handsome, despite a smear of dirt on his cheek. His eyes opened as she brushed at the streak of brown. "Kate," he teased, smiling. "You just couldn't resist my beautiful face."

"More like trying to clean off your dirty face. The sun's up. We need to get going."

Stretching the kinks out of his muscles, Castle followed her to the door. The road looked a lot better in the daylight. Beckett pointed to a marker with a five on it. "With any luck that means we're five miles from a main road."

They walked with the quick pace of New Yorkers and before much of the morning was gone, spotted a crossroads, with two gas stations complete with attached convenience stores. "Wow!" Castle exclaimed, "food and running water."

"And hopefully a phone," Beckett added.

Beckett and Castle availed themselves of the facilities to clean up and by flashing her badge, Beckett was able to convince the clerk in one of the stores to let her use the phone to call the New Jersey State Troopers and Captain Montgomery. While Beckett made her calls, Castle bought breakfast burritos, bear claws and coffee for two. "You know, Beckett," Castle mused,"this coffee is almost as bad as the stuff in the precinct was before I bought the espresso machine, but I don't care."

"I know what you mean. Castle," Beckett agreed, taking a bite of a pastry. "The troopers will give us a ride over the bridge and some unis will pick us up from there. The techs are coming to check out the car."

Castle rubbed at the red mark on his neck. "These really do look like hickeys. Who knows what we might have been doing under the influence of drugs. You did wake up with your head on my shoulder."

"Castle," Beckett purred with a sly grin, "If I ever give you a hickey, I guarantee that you'll remember it."


	9. Chapter 9

Moment in Time

Final Nail

Castle stood miserably next to Beckett on the sidewalk in front of Damien Westlake's townhouse. "'Show me a hero and I'll write you a tragedy.' F. Scott Fitzgerald said that." Beckett offered.

Castle closed his eyes and shook his head. "It must have been Ernest Hemmingway who said, "Man, I sure could use a drink about now,'" he replied.

"Lead the way," Beckett told him. "I'm buying."

"It's Valentine's Day. Shouldn't you be at a nice candlelit restaurant, wearing a new dress, ordering surf and turf?" Castle asked.

Beckett sighed. "No, Josh just called. He has an emergency surgery tonight."

"Well, you can't damn the guy for his dedication," Castle commented. "But it's his loss. Old Haunt?'

"Fine," Beckett told him. "I have an in with the owner."

Castle settled into the comfort of the booth where he had written "In a Hail of Bullets," with Beckett sitting across from him. The bar was decorated with hearts and suggestive pictures of cupid. Castle kept his eyes away from the celebratory cascade, staring at the surface of the table. "You okay, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered.

Beckett punched his arm. "Liar. You want a beer?"

"I'd like a scotch, but I'm not sure it would help. Let's get away from all this," Castle said, indicating the decorations. "I have some things downstairs in the office downstairs."

"What?" Beckett asked.

"I'll show you when we get there."

With slight hesitation, Beckett descended the stairs with Castle. He went to the desk, pulled a large gold box out of a drawer, and opened it. "Belgian chocolates!" Beckett exclaimed.

Castle smiled. "I see you share my addiction," he said, extending a small dark globe toward her mouth.

The scent of cherries arose as Beckett bit into the creamy richness Castle held out to her. Beckett closed her eyes and breathed it in. Castle wished for the appearance of some gun toting guardian of evil to give him an excuse to kiss the sweetness from her lips, but he had to console himself with a chocolate of his own. A coffee center created the enticing sensation of mocha on his tongue. Castle and Beckett demolished about half the box.

"We're going to get sick if we do anymore of this," Beckett said regretfully. "maybe we should go back upstairs."

"We can work it off," Castle told her.

"How?" Beckett asked. "You want to wander in the tunnels?"

Beckett was glad to see Castle laugh. "No, how about a game of twister?"

"You have twister down here, Castle? I don't even want to think about why."

"Detective! Get your mind out of the gutter. Alexis and some of her friends had a party here. I had a collection of amusements for them. Twister was one. Are you game?"

"Are you kidding, Castle? I'll beat your pants off."

Castle smirked. "Oh, please do."

It was not as easy to beat Castle as Beckett had imagined, simply because he took up so much space. Even with her long limbs, reaching over him was difficult. They finally ended up in a tangle of arms and legs, with his lips inches from hers. The room was suddenly pitched into darkness. Beckett sprang to her feet. "Not funny, Castle!"

"I had nothing to do with it!" Castle protested. He pulled the phone from his pocket to use the flashlight application. "Let's see if it's a circuit breaker. I think the panel is over here."

Beckett pulled out her police issue Mag-lite and shined it on the switches. "I don't see anything flipped," she said.

"I don't either," Castle agreed. "Maybe it's a blackout. Let's go upstairs and find out. Grabbing a couple of the lanterns from the storage closet, they made their way back through the trap door. The room was in darkness and several patrons had already gone to the door to look out. The situation was obvious, with horns blaring impatiently as traffic had already slowed to a near halt with lights no longer controlling its flow.

"It doesn't look like anyone is going much of anywhere," Castle observed. "We might as well make things as comfortable for the customers as possible. Castle enlisted the staff to bring up whatever lanterns remained downstairs. Without a cash register or credit card reader, Castle allowed the customers to sign for chits for drinks. Brian, the bartender was encouraged to serve as many drinks as possible at room temperature and kegs were tapped by hand.

With the flow of alcohol largely uninterrupted, the atmosphere was surprisingly upbeat. The piano player took requests by lantern light and several patrons decided to sing torch songs to their dates. After more than a little urging, Beckett leaned against the piano and sang "Blue Eyes" to the howls and whistles of the crowd.

"That was really good," Castle told her, "but doesn't Josh have brown eyes?"

"Yeah, he does." Beckett agreed.

"My eyes are blue," Castle told her.

"Really Castle, I never noticed."

"Who's the liar this time?" Castle asked.

One patron had apparently been indulging long before showing up at the Old Haunt. He approached Beckett. "I reeeally liiked your soong," He told her. "And I reeeally liike yooo," he said, grabbing her arm.

"You really don't want to do that," Castle told him.

"Why? Whaat are yooo gonna doo?" The man asked.

"Me? Nothing," Castle replied. "But she will."

The man suddenly found himself face down on the floor wearing Beckett's cuffs.

"That was thoughtful," Castle told Beckett. "At least you didn't break his arm, or knock him unconscious."

"Wouldn't want the paperwork," Beckett replied, regarding her hapless suitor. "He's already passed out. Let's put him in a booth, I'll take the cuffs off and he can sleep it off."

The lights came back on without warning. The customers lingered, settling their tabs, waiting for the traffic to smooth out, and finishing a last drink. Slowly they began to drift out. Beckett's admirer had regained consciousness and was loaded into a taxi. "Are you ready to go?" Castle asked Beckett when the population had thinned to Brian and a few regulars. "We can probably get a cab for ourselves now."

"I had a nice time tonight," Beckett told Castle as the hack approached her apartment. "Weird, but nice."

"Even with Prince Charming?" Castle asked.

Beckett laughed. "Especially with Prince Charming. If I'm ever stranded in a blackout on Valentine's day again, Castle, I'd be happy to be stranded with you."

"Detective Beckett, it's a date."


	10. Chapter 10

Moment in Time

Poof You're Dead

Beckett pulled her water from the vending machine and walked to the door, catching sight of Castle leaning against the wall with his phone to his ear. She couldn't help overhearing Castle's side of the conversation. "No, no. What I'm saying is, it's over." He was obviously upset, and Beckett walked away to give him privacy.

Castle caught up with Beckett at her desk, gathering her things to leave for the day. "Heading out?" Castle asked.

"Yeah, it's late," Beckett replied.

"Motorcycle Boy?" Castle inquired.

"I really wish you'd stop calling him that," Beckett answered with consternation.

Castle tried again. "Doctor Motorcycle Boy?"

"No, Josh is on shift tonight. I was going to see if I could catch the comfort food truck. You want to come?" Beckett asked thoughtfully.

Castle smiled."Macaroni and cheese? Warm biscuits? Hot chocolate? How could I say no?"

Castle and Beckett took their food to a table that had been set up near the truck. The air was frosty, and Castle stared at the white streams of rising steam." You okay, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"I guess," Castle told her. "I just broke up with Gina. It's been coming."

"What happened?"

"Do you remember when I got those tickets for Alexis for the Taylor Swift concert so that Alexis and Ashley could hear their song, but Gina got her tickets too, without asking me?"

"Yeah," Beckett answered. "you two had a fight and you had to make some kind of amends."

"I bought her balloons and apologized, but it brought up another fight we had, when we were still married. Gina bought Alexis a doll for Christmas, but I had already bought her one and stashed it away. Gina didn't check with me about that one either. We had a fight about it and Alexis got the doll I bought for her. Gina seemed to think that both events were about my building a wall around Alexis and not letting anyone in."

"Were they?" Beckett asked.

"Maybe in part," Castle answered, "and when Gina said it, I agreed with her. Maybe I just wanted to make up."

"There are perks to making up," Beckett commented with a smile.

Castle gave a lopsided grin. "There are, but that's not what I meant. I just didn't want to fight. But the problem was really about us not talking to each other. Having a single mother, I really had no model for how mothers and fathers are supposed to act with each other. Let me ask you something. Did your parents talk about things like that?"

"Like what? Christmas gifts?" Beckett asked.

"As a start," Castle said.

"Obviously they tried to keep it away from me," Beckett told him.

"But you knew anyway. I'm sure even young Kate Beckett was an excellent detective."

Beckett laughed. "I was. I knew all the hiding places. I knew just where to stand to hear them talking. Even when I was older. The Christmas before my mother..." A look of sadness stole over Beckett's face.

"Beckett, I'm sorry," Castle said."You don't need to talk about this."

"You know, Castle, I want to, because there were some really happy times and I don't want to forget them. My mother bought me ice skates for Christmas. I had skated a few times when I went to Rockefeller Center with my girlfriends, but I really didn't know how. We rented skates and I had to hold on to someone to even stand up."

"I'm sure there were any number of young men who would have been glad to have you hold on to them," Castle quipped.

"Maybe," Beckett answered, "but I was there with my girl gang. Anyway, when my mother finally bought me skates, my father knew all about it. We all went to the rink together. My parents skated together. They waltzed on the ice. It was beautiful to watch. They just fit together. They always just fit together. That's why it was such a terrible loss for my father when she was killed. It was like he lost half of himself."

"He still had you," Castle said.

"For a while, he didn't. I couldn't cope. I really couldn't deal with her death until I decided to become a cop. By that time my father was in pretty bad shape. He had to work very hard to get sober. He still works very hard to stay that way."

"But he has you to support him now."

"And I have him. I can talk to him. If you couldn't talk to Gina, who do you talk to, Castle?"

"There's my mother, but that's a new thing since she moved in. I couldn't talk to her much when I was growing up. I'm still not always sure how to do it."

"Did Gina know how to talk to you?"

"About books maybe, but she was my publisher before I married her. I think she got used to telling me rather than asking me. I honestly don't think that she even thought about asking me about dolls or tickets or anything. She got upset that I thought that she should. She thought I just wanted to be a hero. She might have been partially right about that. I do like being a hero, but I wasn't trying to build any walls around Alexis. If anything, I was trying to knock one down with Gina. It didn't work, the first or the second time."

"Do you have any idea why?" Beckett asked.

"We weren't in love. It was convenient to be together. Sometimes it was fun. But I don't have that hole in my soul when she's not around. I don't think she needs me that way either. We're not halves of a whole like your parents were. We're just separate pieces that we tried to jam together, but there was always a wall in-between. I'm just too bruised to bang my head against that wall anymore. I'm done. But hey! I want to say thanks for not mentioning that article or asking what was going on. Even more thanks for listening when I was ready to talk about it."

Beckett pulled a bouquet of silk flowers from her sleeve and handed it to Castle. "No problem."


	11. Chapter 11

Moment in Time

Knockdown

Castle winced as he unwrapped the bandage the EMT had swathed way too tightly around his swollen knuckles. "Hey there, Chuck Norris," Beckett said, climbing into the back of the ambulance, "how's the hand?"

"Excruciating," Castle answered.

"Hmmm," Beckett mused, re-wrapping the bandage around his hand.

Castle smiled. "Thanks. How are Ryan and Esposito?"

"Mild hypothermia and wounded pride," Beckett answered. "Guess which one will heal first?"

"Beckett, can we get out of here? I'd like to numb my wounds in about ten pounds of ice,"Castle told her, searching for a plausible excuse."

"Sure Castle," Beckett told him. "I can certainly understand wanting to numb the pain."

Castle was pretty sure that Beckett wasn't talking about bruises, but he followed her to her car.

* * *

Castles's hand was stiff enough that he asked Beckett to help him manipulate the key to the loft. Castle's freezer had an ample supply of ice, both for his hand and his scotch. Beckett got him settled on the couch with a glass and a cold pack and started to leave. "Kate, stay awhile," Castle pleaded. "You need to decompress at least as much as I do. Pour yourself a glass of wine or whatever you want and put your feet up. Hal Lockwood isn't going anywhere but jail. Besides there's some stuff I want to ask you."

Beckett sat next to Castle on the couch, her body still tense and her feet solidly on the floor. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to regret this, Castle, but what do you want to know?"

"Why did you start back working on your mother's death last summer when I was in the Hamptons? Weren't you just getting started with Demming? Or was he helping you?"

Beckett sighed, pondering just how much she wanted to tell Castle. "I broke it off with Tom the day you left, actually right before you left. I was going to tell you and ask if I could still take you up on your invitation, but Gina showed up."

Castle's breath whooshed out of him, as if he had been punched. "So there was no beach house?"

Beckett shook her head.

"And you were alone all summer? Alone until Josh?"

Beckett nodded slowly.

I'm sorry," Castle told her. "If I had known, I never would have left you to relive all of that by yourself. Is that why you were so upset when I didn't call you after the summer? I really was going to, you know, right after my book tour, but I didn't think you'd care."

"I really don't know, Castle. It just really felt like you'd left us. I didn't realize you thought I had Tom for support."

"So when did you meet Josh?"

"It was a few days after I had to arrest Mike Royce. I was still upset."

"How did you guys meet?"

Beckett laughed. "I was at a biker bar. I had my Harley and Josh had his bike. He bought me a beer and we just started talking. He's smart and so dedicated to making the world a better place, I liked him."

"So he really is Doctor Motorcycle Boy?"

Beckett smiled thoughtfully. "I guess."

"But he's so dedicated to making the world a better place that he isn't here for you. Is that why you didn't tell him about looking into your mother's murder?"

"That's not fair, Castle. He's been here for me, sometimes. He's helped me research cases. We have fun together. I like that he's so busy. He's a good man. I just didn't think he'd really understand."

"Kate, if he doesn't understand about how you feel about your mother's murder, he doesn't understand you."

"Castle, I really don't need you to analyze my love life, or me. If you want me to stay, we need to talk about something else," Beckett insisted stubbornly.

"Okay," Castle agreed. "Let's talk about pizza."

"Pizza, Castle?"

"Yeah, I'm starving. Aren't you hungry after a hard day of crime fighting?"

Beckett hadn't thought about it, but at the mention of savory slices, her stomach began to rumble. Castle looked at her. "I heard that," he exclaimed. "What do you want on it?"

"Castle, you know how I like my coffee. You know what I eat for breakfast. If you don't know what I like on my pizza by now, that's a major hole in your research for Nikki Heat."

"Beckett, who do you think you're talking to? I know that you like sausage and pepperoni and that you love both mushrooms and banana peppers. I was just wondering if you had a special request."

"Okay Castle, I want pineapple."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

Castle took a page from Beckett's book and rolled his eyes. "I'll have them put pineapple on half," he told her, putting his hand in his pocket for his phone and wincing a little at the pressure on his sore knuckles.

"Do you need some help with that, Castle?" Beckett asked, observing the sudden flash of pain in his eyes.

Castle smirked. "Beckett, I can do this with one finger. I have an ap for that."

Beckett covered her mouth to conceal her smile. "Of course you do, Castle."

The pizza arrived quickly, along with bread sticks, an array of dipping sauces, two salads and fried dough coated with cinnamon sugar. Castle tipped the delivery man generously. Beckett surveyed the feast they laid out on the table.

"You weren't kidding about being starving, Castle."

"Saving your life always makes me hungry."

Beckett shook her head and reached for a slice with pineapple, determined to convince Castle that she actually liked it. As the meal progressed, she hoped he wouldn't notice that she concentrated more on her salad and the bread sticks. Castle watched her with a knowing smile. As they cleaned up, Castle offered to wrap Beckett's leftover pizza to take home. She demurred a little too quickly, leaving Castle to swallow a laugh.

When the table was clear, Castle returned to the couch and his somewhat diminished ice pack. Beckett remained standing. "I need to go, Castle. After the food and everything else that's happened today, if I stay, I'll fall asleep."

"Beckett, you could sleep here. No funny stuff, I promise. Seems like I've said that before."

"Castle, I really do need to get home, but I want to say thank you for having my back tonight."

"Always."

A/N I think this is a plausible way for Kate to have met Josh. They never mentioned how it happened on the show. I actually like pineapple on my pizza. I picked that up from a Vietnamese co-worker. My husband hates it, though, so I almost never get to have it. Somehow I didn't think it would be to Beckett's taste either. Maybe we'll find out, if there's ever another Castle Paley panel, or better yet, Castle at Nerd HQ.


	12. Chapter 12

Moment in Time

Murder Most Fowl

Beckett could see the feelings exploding on Castle's face as Tyler Donnegal ran into his father's arms. She could only imagine the empathy that Castle had with Dean Donnegal. Even when she was most annoyed at Castle, she continued to marvel at his endless capacity to love his family and his uncompromising commitment to keeping them safe and well cared for.

Castle turned to see Beckett gazing at him. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied. "I'm just glad we could make this happen. It has been a really long day. You want to grab a cold one?"

"Maybe out of my fridge," Castle answered. "I have an irresistible compulsion to hug my daughter and I need to hunt for a rat."

"I'm confused," Beckett told him. "I understand the hug, but didn't we just catch some rats?"

"I meant that literally," Castle answered. "You know that Alexis has been taking care of Ashley's pet rat, Theodore. The rat escaped and Alexis is convinced that Ashley will hate her forever if we don't find it, so I need to help her find it. Also Mother is threatening to take up residence at the Plaza at my expense."

"Ouch,"Beckett responded. "Well, do you need help looking?"

"Beckett, are you offering your detecting skills? How could I say no?"

* * *

Alexis was on her knees looking under the couch with a flashlight when Castle and Beckett arrived at the loft. "Still no luck, I see," Castle said. "I brought reinforcements."

Alexis looked up, "Hi detective Beckett. Did you come to help us look for Theodore?"

"I can try," Beckett told her. "If we plan this out as if we were doing a police search, we should make a grid of the whole loft. Then we can assign sections and cover the whole place efficiently."

"Hey, I have floor plans on my computer," Castle announced. "We can do it on the touch screen and mark off areas we've covered."

"That's a great plan!" Alexis exclaimed. "Thanks, Detective Beckett, and you too, Dad."

"How about a hug?" Castle asked.

Alexis ran over to embrace him, but quickly detached, eager to get started with a Beckett style search.

Martha refused to participate, maintaining a perch on a high stool near the counter, drinking a glass of wine. "Martha do you mind if I search your room?" Beckett asked.

Martha waved her hand with a diva's panache. "Please. At least if you look, I can be sure the little rodent isn't there."

The grid was laid out with Beckett, Castle and Alexis each taking their assigned sections. No area of the loft was left unsearched. There were telltale pellets, sure signs that Theodore had been there, but no sign of the rat himself.

Alexis sat despondently on the couch with her head on her father's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Alexis," Beckett said. "We may be going about this the wrong way. When we do a police search like this, we are assuming that someone wants to be found. Obviously Theodore doesn't want to be. He's staying out ahead of wherever we're searching."

"So what do we do?" Alexis asked.

"We have to make him come to us," Beckett answered. "Put out everything that he likes where he can get to it easily and where we can see it, and wait for him to come to us."

Alexis busily set up steps to Theodore's cage, leading to his favorite foods. His exercise wheel was similarly baited as was his maze. Beckett sat on the couch to await an appearance, while Alexis and Castle sat on pillows on the floor and leaned against the couch. As it got later and later with no sign of Theodore, Alexis began to droop until she was asleep, leaning against Castle. "I'm going to carry her up to bed," Castle whispered to Beckett, scooping his daughter up in his arms.

Castle laid Alexis on top of her bedspread, pulled her boots off, and covered her with a throw from a nearby chair. "Everything all right?" Beckett asked when he returned.

Castle nodded. "Out like a light. Any signs of Theodore?"

"No, I'm sorry Castle, this doesn't seem to be working."

"Beckett, You have nothing to be sorry about. You really are remarkable, helping Alexis like this, over a rat. You must have had something more fun to do. Where's Josh?"

"He's out of the country," Beckett answered, "a Doctors Without Borders mission. I can't compete with that. He's saving lives."

"You saved a life today, Beckett," Castle reminded her.

"We both did, Castle. I don't think I could have done it without you."

"We make a good team," Castle agreed.

"Unfortunately," Beckett said, getting up and stretching, "I need to break up the team for tonight. I've got to go."

"Tomorrow?" Castle asked.

"Tomorrow," Beckett agreed.

* * *

Ryan, Esposito, Castle and Beckett gathered around the murder board for a final review of the case. Beckett explained that the ringleader had been a former bond trader named Robert Kincade. Most of his gang were ex-Wallstreeters. They needed Dean Donnegal's help to secure the files they wanted, and took Tyler to secure it. The whole thing would have worked if Light Bulb Len hadn't been taking pictures in the park. Len had actually helped to foil the kidnapping and catch his own killer.

Montgomery joined the group to report that the thug that Kincade had hired to do his dirty work had been more than happy to rat him out. "Speaking of rats," Castle said, "I gotta go."

"No Theodore yet?" Beckett asked.

"No, Castle" answered, "but we still have a little time before Ashley shows up."

"I'll come with," Beckett told him. "I still want to make my strategy work."

* * *

Alexis had tears in her eyes as Castle and Beckett came through the door of the loft. "I'm the worst person in the whole world."

"No you're not," Castle protested, "you're kind and you're sweet."

I'm a killer," Alexis insisted, "a rat killer."

"You don't know that," Castle argued. "You may just be a loser." Castle caught the shocked look on Alexis' face. "A rat loser. That did not come out right."

"Alexis," Beckett said, "Theodore may still be here somewhere."

The doorbell rang and Alexis eyed the door with trepidation. "It's Ashley."

Alexis' boyfriend immediately spied the tear-stained face. "What's wrong he asked."

"He's gone, Theodore is gone," Alexis told him. 'We looked everywhere, I swear. We turned the whole place upside down. I must not have locked the cage right. I'm sorry Ashley, you have every right to hate me."

Castle and Beckett tried their best to act as if they were reading a text on Castle's phone together, while listening to the exchange.

"C'mon, Alexis," Ashley comforted. "I'm upset, but I don't hate you."

"You don't?" Alexis asked.

"No," Ashley said, indicating everything that had been set up around the room."Look at this place. Who else would do that?"

Castle ran a finger over the back of Beckett's hand and smiled at her.

"You cared about him a lot," Alexis told Ashley.

"Yeah but, I care about you more," Ashley told Alexis, bringing his lips toward hers.

Castle's eyes met Beckett's, just as a piercing scream sounded from Martha's room. Castle pointed upward. "Found him!"


	13. Chapter 13

Moment in Time

To Love and Die in L.A.

Beckett held the creased paper in her hands, reading the words for the tenth time, "And now for the hard part, kid. It's clear that you and Castle have something real, and you're fighting it. But trust me, putting the job ahead of your heart is a mistake. Risking our hearts is why we're alive. The last thing you want is to look back on your life and wonder, if only." Beckett gazed at the man sleeping beside her. He was there for her, helping her whether she wanted it or not. She often couldn't bring herself to admit it, but she wanted it. In that moment in the hotel room, it had taken everything she had, not to call to him when his door closed. She was supposed to be with Josh, but Josh wasn't the one who was by her side without question. That was Castle, only Castle. She reached out a hand to touch his face, just as the plane lurched.

Beckett pulled her hand back as Castle's eyes flew open. "What was that?"

The Captain's voice came over the P.A. System. "Ladies and gentlemen, the plane has developed some mechanical difficulties requiring us to divert from La Guardia. We are attempting to obtain clearance to land at the nearest available airport."

"That doesn't sound good," Beckett said.

"Don't worry about it," Castle advised. "If we're late getting back it will give Captain Montgomery more time to cool off. We can always pick up another plane, or a train or an automobile."

"This isn't a John Candy movie, Castle." "Relax, it'll be...,"

The plane shuddered. "Ladies and gentlemen," came the Captain's voice again. "We will be executing an emergency landing. Please follow all the instructions from your flight attendants." The first class attendant began to give instructions for assuming the emergency position for landing. Despite her obviously thorough rehearsal of the words, her voice trembled. The plane creaked ominously and gravity seemed almost in suspension as they plummeted toward the ground.

Gravity reasserted itself with a jolt. The plane was still moving along the ground, way too fast. Castle and Beckett felt for each others' hands, clasping tightly. Sparks flew as the brakes tried for purchase. There was none, until the plane came violently to rest in a tangle of trees.

It was dark except for the dim glow of the emergency lighting in the aisle of the plane. Beckett could no longer feel Castle's hand. "Castle are you all right?"

Beckett heard a soft groan. "Wow, I think so," Castle told her. "I got banged up a bit when we stopped. This may be first class, but I still don't fit in that position. I think I'll change airlines."

Beckett breathed a sigh of relief at Castle's familiar if sometimes annoying humor, but her relief was short lived. The smell of smoke was invading the cabin. "Castle, we need to get out of here." Castle tried to move from his seat, but found the legs of the flight attendant, who had failed to reach a seat in time, in his way. Moving carefully around her, he felt for a pulse. She was alive but unconscious. Castle made his way to the exit in the front of the plane with Beckett close behind. The hatch released but the exit was blocked by tree branches. "We need to find another way out," Beckett said. Castle picked up the unconscious flight attendant, carrying her over one shoulder in the narrow space between seats. Coach began a few aisles back. The situation looked even more dire there. Flames shooting from the engines made the over-the-wing exits useless. Two flight attendants were attempting to deploy the escape slide from the door at the rear of the plane, while a third one was doing her best to line people up to use it. Coming from first class, Castle and Beckett were at the back of the line. Castle silently reflected on the irony of the situation. The smoke in the cabin was becoming thicker. By the time Castle was able to put his burden in the charge of the crew, he and Beckett were coughing and their eyes streaming. One of the attendants gave the unnecessary instruction to move away from the plane as quickly as possible.

They went down the slide almost blind. "Castle, are you here?" Beckett called in the smoky darkness. "Right here," Castle answered. "I'm reaching for you. Find my hand." Their fingers met and they stumbled across uneven ground away from plane, as fast as they could.

The roar of an explosion rent the air and they were pitched forward by the shock wave. Castle held Beckett beneath him as shrapnel fell in a rain of searing metal. As quiet came, Beckett felt the weight of his body, pressing her into the hard soil. Her voice came in a whisper, the air knocked from her lungs, "Castle, Rick!" There was no answer, but she could feel the movement of his chest as he breathed and the beat of his heart against her back. He was alive. She crawled from beneath him and examined him in the light of the flames from the burning plane. Blood flowed from a jagged cut on his temple and an ugly piece of fuselage was sticking out of his leg. She tore a strip from the bottom of her light, California weight top, to use to put pressure on his head wound. It was soon soaked through. "You may hate me for this," she muttered, pulling out the tail of Castle's custom made shirt and tearing it off. The heavier fabric seemed to help. The bleeding slowed and finally stopped. She was afraid to do anything about his leg, for fear of making things worse.

Castle stirred calling, "Beckett!"

"Shhh," she soothed. "Try not to move."

"Not a problem," Castle said wryly. "Did the plane explode? Are you all right? What happened to the other passengers?"

"I'm fine and most of the other passengers were further away than we were," Beckett told him. "They're probably okay."

"And the crew?" Castle asked.

"I don't know," Beckett told him. "The ones in the back were right behind us on the slide. They might have gotten out all right. I don't know about the captain or the co-pilot. I never saw them. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by flying debris from an exploding plane. How about you?"

"I'm fine Castle."

"That's good," Castle murmured, his voice trailing off.

"Rick, stay with me!"

"So bossy," Castle muttered softly."I'm awake."

After what seemed like hours, Beckett could hear the thwup of helicopter blades in the distance. "Just a little longer Castle, help is coming."

* * *

Beckett smiled down at the sapphire eyes that looked up from the hospital bed. "You're back," she said.

"Where did I go and how long was I gone?" Castle asked.

"You were in surgery. They had to get that piece of the plane you tried to keep as a souvenir out of your leg. You've been out a few hours."

"Beckett, did you ever find out what happened to everyone else?" Beckett nodded. "All the passengers and the flight attendants came through, mostly with minor injuries at most. The front window of the cockpit shattered against the trees. The captain and the co-pilot took some hard hits, but got out through the window. They're both still in surgery, but they're expected to make it."

"Thank God!" Castle exclaimed. "I should call my family. For some reason Mother and Alexis worry about me."

"I already called them," Beckett assured him. "They're on their way."

"I hope they pick a safer plane than we did."

"Actually, they're driving. Martha is bringing you some things."

"Yeah. Beckett I seem to remember you tearing up my shirt."

"Sorry Castle, I had to keep you from bleeding to death."

Castle's mouth quirked in a lopsided grin. "I know an excuse when I hear one. That's all right, Beckett. Feel free to tear the clothes off me any time you want."

"Castle," Beckett mused silently, "you have no idea how close I came."


	14. Chapter 14

Moment in Time

One Life to Lose

Esposito shook his head. "Killing Sarah to keep a lid on her plagiarism? That's cold."

Beckett shrugged. "And pretty ordinary as motives go."

"She didn't want to put in the work, so she took a short cut," Ryan added.

"There are no shortcuts in writing," Castle stated with the authority of experience.

"No, but there is to our favorite bar," Ryan quipped. "I found a new route that will get us to the Old Haunt in eight minutes. You up for a beer?" Ryan inclined his head at Castle. "I know the owner."

"Yeah, I'm down bro," Esposito answered. "What about you, Castle?"

"I might follow you later." Castle told him. Castle pulled a manilla envelope from his coat and handed it to Beckett who was diligently finishing paperwork at her desk. "Got you a present."

A wide smile spread over Beckett's face as she pulled out the envelope's contents. "A signed cast photo from Temptation Lane. How did you even get this?"

Castle wiggled an eyebrow, "I know people."

Beckett's phone signaled a text. "I'll leave you to it," Castle told her.

"No," Beckett told him. "It's just Josh telling me he can't make our date tonight." She continued under her breath, "Again."

"Sorry," Castle told her, meaning just the opposite. "Hey, you can come to the loft with me. We can do a Temptation Lane marathon. Mother's been recording it."

"That sounds nice," Beckett agreed.

* * *

The couch at the loft was still warm from a recent occupation by Martha and Lance Hastings, who had hurriedly pulled apart and announced that they were going to dinner, when Castle and Beckett arrived.

"You get to sit where the star sat," Castle teased, "quite an achievement in fandom."

"Yeah," Beckett replied sarcastically, "I'm going to tweet about it all night."

"Why not?" Castle asked. "If I got to sit where Harrison Ford sat, I would."

Beckett smiled and shook her head. "Of that Castle, I have no doubt. You want to start the DVR?"

"Beckett," Castle protested. "We can't start a marathon without popcorn! It'll only take three minutes and twenty seconds."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd know that, Castle."

"When it comes to marathon viewing, I am a true aficionado," Castle informed her. "Popcorn coming up."

"I think Lance Hastings looks better with Martha than he does with Mandy Bronson," Beckett commented, watching the screen.

"Ewww!" Castle replied sticking his fingers in his ears. "Don't tell me that. I'm trying to banish the image."

"Why Castle?" Beckett asked, "your mother is an energetic vital woman. Why shouldn't she have a sex life?"

"I don't object to her having one," Castle answered. "I just don't want a mental picture. Do you want to picture your father having sex?"

Beckett thought about it and gave a small shiver. "You're right. That is kind of creepy."

Beckett snuggled into the couch, with the uncomfortable realization that she wished she was snuggling into Castle. She pushed the thought away with a large handful of popcorn. She coughed as a hull got stuck in her throat. "Beckett, you're supposed to eat that, not breathe it," Castle told her, pounding her back. "You okay?"

Beckett nodded, but she continued to cough and her eyes watered. Castle got her a glass of water.

"Maybe that's enough popcorn," Castle suggested as Beckett sipped the liquid. "How would you feel about some real food?"

"What did you have in mind?" Beckett asked.

"How about Q3?" Castle suggested.

"Castle, I'm not dressed for it and neither are you."

"Beckett, I can change and we can go by your place. I know you. You can change in about a minute flat. How about if I call Madison to get us a table?"

"Okay," Beckett agreed, "if Maddy can get us a table."

Madison Queller was more than happy to oblige her friends. Beckett and Castle were seated almost as soon as they arrived, but Madison drew Beckett aside first. "So," she asked. "are you and Castle finally getting together?"

"No," Beckett told her. "We're just here as friends. We just finished a case."

Madison's brow wrinkled in exasperation. "Honestly Bex, I don't know what's wrong with you. You obviously still have a thing for the man. It's written all over your face. And he has one for you too. He never takes his eyes off you."

"Maddy, it's complicated," Beckett protested, "besides I'm with someone else now."

"Like you were with Tom Demmimg? Really Bex! If it's complicated, it's because you're making it complicated. Maybe if I feed you two something romantic, you'll come to your senses."

Maddy, with a little help from chef Jennifer Wong, did her best. Beckett and Castle were served a complimentary appetizer of oysters, and the entrees were paired with a red wine that made Beckett feel as if she was melting into the carpet. The desserts were sent out with two forks, encouraging Castle and Beckett to share. Their hands brushed as they sampled the unworldly richness of a chocolate cheesecake, causing their eyes to meet. Neither looked away.

"Beckett," Castle asked, "are you going to tell me about Temptation Lane?"

Beckett took another sip of her wine, a faraway look coming to her eyes. "Okay, Castle. I was nine and I had to get my tonsils taken out and I was miserable. And so my mom took time off of work and stayed with me and cuddled up in front of the TV on the couch and we would watch episodes of Temptation Lane. So every time I see it now, it just - it makes me feel like home and safe. So there you go. Judge away."

Castle smiled. "How could I judge? My DVR would make yours look like Masterpiece Theater, but I am glad to know this about you. It makes you a little more - human."

Beckett returned the smile, wishing she could reach out to stroke the dimples that formed around his mouth. "Castle, really, thanks for the photo. It means a lot to me."

"Detective Beckett," Castle assured her, "you can make use of my connections anytime."

A/N Nathan's birthday is coming again. Time to support him by giving to nathan_fillion


	15. Chapter 15

Moment in Time

Heroes and Villains

Officer Ann Hastings and Paul Whittaker stepped into the elevator, under Castle's grinning gaze. "A writer and his muse, fighting crime," Castle told Beckett. "Just like us."

"Mmm," Beckett replied, smiling.

Just before the elevator doors could shut, stepping close to Paul, Ann kissed him. Beckett suppressed a longing smile, before turning to Castle. "Tomorrow?" Castle asked apprehensively.

"Mmhmm," Beckett answered, then suddenly changing her mind as Castle started to leave, she called after him. "Castle, were you serious about me perusing your comic collection?"

Castle looked at her, pleased but puzzled. "Of course, Beckett. Any time."

"How about now?" Beckett asked.

"I need to check on Alexis' newest crisis," Castle told her. "How about if I come by your apartment later and take you to them?"

"Okay," Beckett agreed. "See you later."

Beckett opened her door to Castle's knock. "What's the matter?" she asked. "You look upset."

"I'm fine," Castle answered. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Where exactly do you keep your treasures, anyway?" Beckett asked.

"They're in my Fortress of Solitude. I'll show you."

Castle drove uptown to a building that appeared nondescript, except for the large heating and cooling units on the roof. After parking his Ferrari, he entered a code on a panel beside the door. A click sounded and the door unlocked. There were several doors inside, also with panels. Castle entered what Beckett noticed was a different code on one of them.

"Castle, that's my badge number," Beckett told him.

"What a coincidence," Castle quipped.

Castle opened the door and Beckett found herself in what appeared to be a very comfortable and well organized lair. There was an extra long leather couch and a comfortable chair with nearby lights, clearly intended for reading. A computer sat on a desk and heavy duty shelves were filled with carefully labeled storage boxes. There was also a small kitchen area with a refrigerator and microwave and a door that led to a restroom. "I have doubles of almost everything," Castle explained. "They're on different shelves. The ones over there," he said pointing at shelves across the room are mint. They don't even get opened, so that the spines are preserved. Those," he told her, indicating shelves near the couch and chair, "are for reading. Everything is cataloged and cross-indexed by publisher, title, writer, and artist, on the computer. I have a college student who curates the collection for me. That's how I was able to send for the issues I needed when we were working on the case."

"Castle, this is amazing!" Beckett exclaimed, looking around. "A person could spend their life here."

"Believe me, I've considered it," Castle told her. "So what do you want to start with? I seem to remember you have a thing for Frank Miller."

"Actually," Beckett answered. "As background for some of the Avengers movies coming out, I'd like to look at the Ultimates. Do you have them?"

Castle smirked. "Do I have them? Do you want the original issues or," he asked reaching for a large heavy book, "the full collection with commentary and extra art?"

Beckett's eyes lit up as she reached out for the book that Castle held. "The collection would be great." Beckett curled up in a chair with the Ultimates collection while Castle stretched out on the couch with a stack of X-Men.

Beckett was having such a good time that she really wanted to ignore the rumbling of her stomach, but she couldn't. She gazed at the kitchenette, but she didn't really want to ask Castle for anything else. "Hey Castle," she asked. "Want to rest your eyes? I'll buy you a burger."

"Sure," Castle agreed. "Remy's?"

"Mmhmm."

The Ferrari made quick work of the trip back downtown. Beckett and Castle settled in a familiar booth. Castle savored his cheeseburger and Beckett thoughtfully sipped her strawberry shake. "What's on your mind?" Castle asked.

"I don't like Ant Man as a wife beater," Beckett replied.

"I'm with you there," Castle agreed. "I don't like anyone as a wife beater, but I've heard that's going to be changed in the movie. Anything else?"

"Actually," Beckett answered, "I was wondering what's bothering you?"

"What do you mean?" Castle asked.

"You've looked down when you picked me up, but you didn't at the 12th. What happened? Something with Alexis?"

"It hasn't happened yet," Castle told her. "She had picked all the same classes at Stanford that Ashley was taking so that they could spend more time together. I encouraged her to pick classes she'd be interested in, and she did."

"Well that's good, isn't it?" Beckett asked. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that now she's decided that the way she wants to spend more time with Ashley is by moving in together."

Beckett suppressed a laugh. "Castle, I moved in with someone during college, didn't you?"

"Yes, but that was different."

"Why?" Beckett asked.

"Because she's my little girl. I'm not ready."

"Castle you may not be ready. You may never be ready, but she is. Besides, Alexis is the most level headed kid I've ever met. She certainly more grown up than I was at that age and you're not that grown up yet."

"Point taken." Castle agreed. "Beckett, tell me, what were you like your first year at Stanford?"

"Are you sure you can handle it, Castle?"

"Probably not, but tell me anyway."

"Well for one thing," Beckett began, "I was younger than Alexis will be, even considering early admission. Most of us at Stuyvesant came from accelerated programs and I was only sixteen when I graduated. I turned seventeen the fall I got there. You already know I roomed with Debbie Winnaker the beauty queen that first year, so I was trying to survive that situation and working hard. I wanted to get into a good law school. Sophomore year I got involved with someone who turned out to be a real loser, partly because my father didn't like him. We lived in a rat hole, but I convinced myself I was happy, at least for a while. Of course, after..."

"Your mother's murder?" Castle prompted softly.

"Yes," Beckett continued. "I transferred to NYU and really couldn't think about anything but becoming a cop and catching her killer."

"A superhero origin story if ever I've heard one," Castle declared. "I suppose no matter what Alexis decides, she'll have an easier time than that, unless I meet my death as your plucky sidekick."

Beckett couldn't help seeing the image of the embrace of Ann Hastings and Paul Whittaker in her mind. "Castle, you are not my plucky sidekick. For better or for worse, you're the writer and I'm your muse, fighting crime."

A/N The other geek at church lent me that huge Ultimates book. The Ultimates were the predecessors of the Avengers, but I'm glad some of the darker things about the characters have been or will be rebooted. Now here is your daily reminder to support Nathan's birthday campaign for Charity Water. The link won't save here, for some reason, but you can easily find it on his twitter timeline.


	16. Chapter 16

Moment in Time

Head Case: The Dream

Castle and Beckett stared at Cynthia Hamilton's frozen body through the glass.

"Wouldn't it be something if they reunited 100, even 1000 years from now?" Castle mused.

"Well, anything's possible," Beckett replied to Castle's surprise.

"You really believe that?" Castle asked.

"It's what great love stories are about, right," Beckett asked smiling, "beating the odds?"

"I hope they make it," Castle said, returning the smile which grew wider.

"Me too."

* * *

Castle knew he wasn't supposed to sit in Kate's chair, but she was taking forever settling things with the District Attorney and he'd had almost no sleep. He pillowed his head on his arms for just a moment.

* * *

The siren screamed as the ambulance rushed madly to the hospital. They weren't going to make it. The life had poured from Kate Beckett's body. Lanie and the EMT's tried to bring her back, but her injured heart would no longer beat. He'd finally said it. He'd finally professed his love, but she was gone.

Castle brushed the condensation from the capsule. There was Kate, unchanged since the day that she died in his arms. "We're going to be together someday Kate, and I swear I'll tell you I love you every day.

The figure was faceless. "I don't know anything," Castle protested. "We never found out who was behind the murders."

"Mr. Castle," the figure replied, "I don't care." The bullets burned into Castle's chest as he descended into the dark.

Castle awoke in what seemed to be a hospital bed, surrounded by equipment he had never seen before. A technician leaned over him. "Welcome back, Mr. Castle."

"What happened?" Castle asked.

"You died. You had three bullets in your heart," the technician explained. "You were in stasis. We grew a new heart for you from your stem cells. You should be fine now."

"Stasis?" Castle asked. "How long?"

"Only about forty years," the technician answered. "Still, you're going to be disoriented. That's to be expected. Your daughter is waiting outside to see you."

A woman with red hair, streaked with bright silver entered the room. Castle stared at the still unchanged blue eyes. "Alexis," he murmured.

The woman tentatively took his hand. "Hi Dad."

"Looks like I've got some catching up to do," Castle said. "What have you been doing the last forty years?"

Alexis smiled. "Well, that's a lot to tell. I went to college and law school. I'm a Federal judge now. I got married. You have three grandchildren, although they're not children anymore, and one great- grandchild."

"How about Kate?" Castle asked.

Alexis looked puzzled. "Kate? Do you mean Kate Beckett?"

"Yes," Castle affirmed. "She was frozen too. If they saved me, they must have saved her."

"I don't know," Alexis told him, but it's easy enough to find out." She closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Castle asked.

"Accessing the cloud," Alexis explained. "I have a direct neural link. I'm looking for her."

Castle stared at his daughter in wonder as she reopened her eyes. "She's still in stasis. When you – died, I set up a trust for you so there were funds for your revival, but she didn't have anything like that. It's against the law to discontinue stasis, but no one has to be revived if it isn't paid for."

"Alexis, could I get it done now?" Castle asked, terrified of what he would feel if the reply were "no".

"Consider yourself lucky you have a lawyer for a daughter. I made sure the rights were renewed to your characters. Nikki Heat has had a resurgence. There are holographic experiences, surrounds, and even programs to print out play figures. Your trust owns all the rights. You have the funds to revive her. I can arrange it - it that's what you want to do."

"I do," Castle told her.

* * *

Beckett needed a new heart, as Castle had. It had taken weeks to grow one and arrange for the surgery. Castle paced fearfully as the operation was performed. "Dad, don't worry," Alexis comforted. "This sort of thing is routine now. She'll be fine."

Castle looked down at the figure lying in the bed. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. "Kate," he called softly."

Lashes lifted from the exquisite hazel eyes Castle remembered. "Castle?"

"Right here. Do you remember what happened?"

"I was shot. I remember I was on the ground and you were holding me. You told me you loved me, and then nothing."

"You died, Kate. We both did. I was shot by the same people who shot you. That was forty years ago. We were frozen and they just brought us back."

Kate snorted. "Castle, that has got to be one of the stupidest jokes you've ever made, and the most tasteless."

"No joke, Kate," Castle told her. "Look around the room. Does this look like technology you've ever seen before. The world has changed, but one thing hasn't, I love you."

Kate scanned the room and then Castle's face. There was no sign that he was anything but serious. "Do you know what happened to Josh?"

Castle gritted his teeth at the mention of Kate's old boyfriend, but nodded. "He married another doctor. They set up a clinic in Africa. He's sort of famous. They made a movie, or what passes for a movie now, about him."

"And Lanie and Esposito and Ryan?" Kate asked.

"All still around. Lanie and Esposito got married and adopted a couple of kids out of foster care. Kevin and Jenny have grandchildren. I had dinner with all of them not long ago. They're doing great. By the way. I have grandchildren too."

Kate smiled. "They're probably more grown up than you are."

"Without a doubt," Castle agreed.

"So what happens now, Castle?" Kate asked.

"What do you want to happen, Kate? You know my feelings. We could start a new life together. Do you love me, Kate?"

Kate smiled. "Rick, come down here," she said reaching up to put her hands around his neck. Their lips met. Fireworks went off in Castles head. He could hear Kate repeating his name, over and over.

"Castle!" Rick opened his eyes in confusion. "Castle are you all right?" Beckett asked.

Castle looked around at the familiar bullpen of the 12th precinct and rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, I was dreaming."

"Then get out of my chair," Beckett ordered. "I have work to do."

Castle scrambled into his own familiar chair, staring at Beckett with a look she'd never seen before.

"Are you sure you're all right, Castle?" she asked.

"Just the dream hanging on," he answered.

"Was it a good dream?"

Castle smiled wistfully. "It was the start of one."

A/N Time for your daily reminder to contribute to Nathan's Charity Water Campaign. The URL won't reproduce here, but if you tweet me CheerfulChemist I'll send it to you.


	17. Chapter 17

Moment in Time

Eye of the Beholder

"I'm going to my hotel," Serena told Castle. "I would ask you to come," she said kissing his cheek, "but it's like I said, I don't steal things that belong to someone else."

Beckett walked into the bullpen, surprised when she saw Castle. "You guys didn't go out?"

"No," Castle replied.

"Why?"

Castle would have loved to tell Beckett what Serena said, and what it meant, but instead he pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket. "Because I can't afford it, the museum just slapped me with a bill for the exhibit I broke." Castle held up the paper for Beckett to read.

"Whoa!" Beckett exclaimed at the amount. "You know Castle, the museum didn't even own the piece, it had been sold to our murderer and I don't think she'll be collecting bills anytime soon."

"You're right Beckett, but I think they're looking to make up what they lost in a wealthy patron. I'm willing to help them out. Still you'd think they'd cut me some slack on the whole 'helping solve the murder' thing," Castle complained.

"I guess the least the NYPD could do is take you out for a hamburger," Beckett offered tentatively.

Castle didn't even have to think about an opportunity to spend time with Beckett. "I accept," he told her.

Beckett led the way to the elevator. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Castle asked. "Remy's?"

"I thought I'd try something different," Beckett answered. "How about the Shake Shack?"

"I'm game."

The restaurant was in Battery Park. The outside tables were close together and jammed with patrons. Beckett and Castle could tell why. The burgers were huge, the shakes made with freshly spun ice cream. In addition they made their own custard. "Wow," Castle said, wrapping both of his large hands around his burger, "this is big, even for me. You want some?"

"No way, Castle! I'm barely going to finish my shake and I really want to taste that caramel pretzel custard."

"I'm with you on the custard," Castle agreed, "but it's really crowded here. We could get it in cones and walk."

"That's not a bad idea, Castle." Castle and Beckett walked companionably toward the harbor and the waterfront, finally reaching the ferries that offered cruises to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. "That would have been fun," Beckett said, gazing at the boats. "Too bad the ferries have stopped running for the day."

"Beckett," Castle suggested, "there is a twilight cruise on the clipper ship. I can see if I can get tickets."

"You sure you can afford it, after the museum, Castle?" Beckett teased.

Castle grinned. "You paid for dinner, I think I can manage." Castle bought the last two remaining tickets for the voyage, and he and Beckett were soon beneath the billowing sails.

"You know Castle," Beckett confessed, "Except for my time at Stanford, I've lived in New York all my life and I've never been on this ship. It's beautiful."

"Yes it is," Castle agreed, looking not at the ship but at Beckett. The breeze picked up as the clipper crossed the water. Beckett crossed her arms, tucking in her hands. "Beckett, if you're cold, we can huddle for warmth," Castle offered.

Beckett narrowed her eyes. "Castle," she chastised. The chill increased but Beckett hated to admit how much she wanted the warmth of Castle's arms, even though she was noticeably shivering.

"It's not as if we haven't done it before," Castle persisted.

Beckett struck back. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather be keeping Serena warm, Castle?"

"Kate," Castle whispered softly, "if that's where I wanted to be, I'd be there. You were the one who told me to take her out and I only kissed her to give you time to finish searching her room. You know that, now let me keep you warm. Castle opened his coat, pulling Beckett inside and wrapped it around both of them with Beckett encircled in his arms. Slowly Beckett gave in, leaning against him and breathing the male scent that mixed with the salty air. As the sun dropped below the horizon, stars were barely visible in the wash of city lights, but there was a full moon lending a silvery cast to the surroundings.

The huge copper statue loomed in the distance. "Have you ever climbed the stairs in that?" Castle asked.

"Are you kidding, Castle? The first time my parents took me, I made it to the crown. My parents couldn't keep up with me and I couldn't understand why they looked so winded when they finally caught up. It was great! How about you?"

"A couple of school trips. I think I went up as fast as I could just to drive the teacher crazy."

Beckett laughed. "Obviously you haven't changed. You still love to drive people crazy."

"True," Castle agreed, "but I doubt that I'd make it up the stairs as fast now."

The ship made it's tour of all the highlights of the harbor before finally returning to it's dock. Castle and Beckett hung back, allowing others to disembark before them, Beckett unwilling to untangle herself from Castle and he unwilling to let her. The other passengers didn't move slowly enough. Too soon Beckett pulled herself free and walked down the ramp with Castle behind her.

"You want to catch a cab?" Castle asked.

Beckett nodded. In a back seat that had seen too many New York bottoms, the curve brought Castle and Beckett hip to hip. Beckett steeled her face not to show her appreciation of the situation, but her body betrayed her, leaning into his. Wishing the ride wouldn't end, Castle could feel her against him. But New York cabbies are not slow. The taxi pulled in front of Beckett's building. Castle handed the driver some bills, asking him to wait.

"Castle you can go on," Beckett protested. "I'm a cop. I can make it upstairs by myself."

"I'm walking you up," Castle insisted. Beckett shrugged.

"That was fun," Beckett said as she unlocked her door. "Thanks."

"Tomorrow?" Castle asked.

"Tomorrow."

Castle leaned back in the cab, pulling the bill from the museum from his pocket once more, staring at it. "It was worth it," he thought. "Solving a case for Beckett is always worth it. But thank God I'm rich."

A/N As I write, it is the 5th anniversary of the first airing of the pilot of Castle. Thanks to all of the cast, the guest stars, the writers, and the crew who have made it a great five years, taking us from "I already hate you" to a love that jumps off the screen and pulls at our hearts. Remember to support Nathan's Charity Water campaign. If you need the URL tweet me CheerfulChemist.


	18. Chapter 18

Moment in Time

Cuffed

The tiger broke through the wall. "Tell me you have a plan," Beckett said.

"We get in there," Castle said, indicating the freezer.

"Castle, are you kidding?" Beckett protested, "It'll latch and we'll suffocate."

"Would you rather be eaten?" Castle asked. "Besides, we can jamb one of those knives in latch and prop it open with a chain, just enough to breathe, she won't be able to get to us."

Beckett surveyed the heavy appliance."It's going to be a tight fit, Castle."

Castle didn't really see that as a negative. "Do you have a better idea?" he asked.

Beckett shook her head. Castle took the knife that had been trying to use to break the handcuffs and thrust it under the hook of the locking mechanism. A couple of chains were used to create about an inch of clearance between the lid and the storage area, as Castle and Beckett climbed in. They lay within the confined space by spooning. Despite the peril of the situation and Beckett's earlier warning not to enjoy the position, Castle found that he was doing so. Even in cuffs, Beckett fit perfectly in the curve of his body. His nose was buried in her hair and he could breathe the intoxicating scent of cherries. He filled his lungs with air, hoping a calming breath would keep Beckett from feeling his response to her presence. It didn't work.

"Castle, are you...?" Beckett asked.

Castle protested his innocence."Beckett, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Right, Castle. Just behave yourself, if that's even possible."

"You could distract me," Castle suggested.

Beckett snorted.

"Not like that, Beckett. Talk to me."

"What do you want to talk about?" Beckett asked.

"Tell me about wild child Kate Beckett."

"I'm not sure you can handle that, Castle. It might make things worse. You're the one who spins stories. Why don't you tell me one? Try and keep it clean."

"Always the killjoy," Castle complained. "All right. New characters. Our heroine is Katia Itrea and our hero is Rorick Hart.

"That's a stretch," Beckett commented sarcastically.

"I'm doing the best I can," Castle protested."I'm under pressure here. Anyway, Katia and Rorick are on a spaceship. It's sub-light, but they were sucked into a wormhole and came out on the far side of the Virgo cluster. Life support is low, they're almost out of fuel, and looking desperately for a safe place to land."

"Really original, Castle," Beckett jibed.

"You want to tell it?" Castle asked.

"Never mind," Beckett told him. "Go on."

"The situation looks hopeless. The ship is cold and they're running out of air. They hold fast to each other as they fall into unconsciousness. They awake in a purple room. They're lying together on a liquid filled bed, hands still entwined."

"Really Castle? The seventies called. They want their waterbed back."

"It's not a waterbed, Beckett. The liquid is actually a bio-sensor. It's analyzing them. Anyway, they try to get up, but they're held by a force field. An insect-like being enters the room, It's as purple as the room. It looks at them with eyes that move separately on stalks, makes a series of clicks, and passes one of its limbs over them. The force field vanishes. Katia and Rorick are stiff and sit up gradually, their hands slowly releasing. The being clicks again and seems to beckon them to follow. At another series of clicks, the door slides open.

They were in a great hall. The walls were again purple, but with an almost blinding sheen. Katia and Rorick stood blinking in the bright light. Several beings were clustered on a raised dais, their clicks and whirs cut sharply through the air as they observed the prisoners. One moved to the fore, emitting a high pitched whine that caused Katia and Rorick to cover their ears in pain. Their hands were torn away from their ears and they were bound together wrist to wrist by sticky silk strands exuded from an insect abdomen."

"This is sounding way too familiar, Castle," Beckett objected.

"Don't break my flow, Beckett. Where was I? They were bound together and taken to another chamber. They were pushed down to lay on a floor which was soft as a whisper. Scented vapors streamed from the wall, enveloping them in aromatic tendrils. An insect being pointed at them and rubbed his limbs together, waggling his body, his chirps and whirs becoming softer, almost cooing sounds."

"Rorick," Katia said, "I think they want us to get it on."

Roricks eyes flashed with excitement and anger. "I refuse to be a porn star for some insect!" he yowled.

"As the vapors invaded their senses," Castle continued, "heat spread through their limbs. They were drawn together by an unseen force. As unbreakable as the bindings of their wrists, such was the attraction that held them, forcing them closer. 'Rorick,' Katia whispered. 'It's all right. I want this. I've always wanted this.' Their lips met and all thought was gone. Fire rushed through their veins as madness took them. The room, the strange world vanished, leaving only the two of them, moving to the drumbeat of ancient rhythms."

Castle could feel Beckett's body melting into his as he told the story. "The universe was empty but for Katia and Rorick, empty of light and sound except for those of their joining. They were alone, but needed no..."

"Beckett! Castle!" Ryan was calling from the hatch above. Castle's flight crashed to earth.

Castle and Beckett lifted the lid of the freezer just enough to call out. "We're here!"

"Is that a tiger?" Esposito asked.

"Yeah," Castle answered, "and we'd really like to not be its next meal."

"Can you get us out?" Beckett asked.

"Just hang on." Esposito answered. "We grabbed these guys but we'll need to get animal control in here to trank that tiger. Will you be okay in there?"

"Peachy," Castle answered.

Castle lay waiting in awkward silence, afraid of Beckett's response to his story once they were out of danger. Finally they were back at the 12th. Castle sat uncomfortably in his chair, gazing apprehensively at Beckett as she filled out her report for a bristly Captain Gates. Beckett finally raised her head. "What's the matter Castle?"

"I was just wondering, how you felt about, I mean the story..."

"Don't worry about it, Castle. It was a fantasy, like page 105 of Heat Wave, although not as good."

Castle laughed."I had no time to polish it. So you're not upset?"

"No, considering the circumstances, it was actually kind of fun." Beckett told him. "In fact, if I had to get handcuffed to somebody again, I wouldn't mind if it was you."

"And if I had to get hitched to somebody again, I wouldn't mind if it was you, either," Castle replied.

"Did you say hitched?"

"No," Castle hurriedly backtracked. "Cuffed."

"Relax Castle, I know what you meant. Only next time," she teased picking up her bag and helmet and heading for the elevator "let's do it without the tiger."

Castle's mouth fell open as he gazed after Beckett in total amazement. "Next time," he repeated, and a thoughtful grin spread over his face.

A/N So here's your daily reminder to give to Nathan's Charity Water Campaign. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist if you need the URL. It's the first time I've topped 100 reviews on a story. Thank you all very much. I really appreciate everything you say.


	19. Chapter 19

Moment in Time

Pandora/Linchpin

Beckett watched Danberg leave and turned to see Castle deep in thought. "Beckett," Castle asked, "Do you think she was telling the truth about my father? I mean, that would explain why he completely disappeared."

"I think," Beckett mused, "that Sophia told a lot of lies."

Castle nodded sadly.

"It must be tough," Beckett continued, "finding out that she's a traitor, especially after you based Clara Strike on her and all."

"Mmmm. Well, Castle replied thoughtfully, Clara started off as Sophia, but ended up being more like you. You know, smart, fierce, kind. I think that was one of the reasons I was drawn to you, as a muse. You think Dr. Blakely was right about the linchpin? Do you think we actually saved the world?"

Beckett smiled. "I think we saved a little girl's life, and that's enough for me."

Castle slowly returned her smile. "Beckett, in the garage, when you suggested that we should go to the track sometime and see, and I quote, 'who laps who,' were you serious?"

Beckett looked suspicious. "What are you thinking, Castle?"

"It's just that I need something to get get my mind off this case - off everything. There's a private racing club only about an hour and a half from Manhattan. We could go, maybe blow off some steam. Loser buys the first round. What do you think?"

"I think it sounds like fun, Castle, but you have a Ferrari, what would I drive to match it?"

"Not to worry, Beckett. The club has a fleet of cars. We can choose a couple that are evenly matched. I can beat you fair and square."

"Right Castle, we'll just see who beats whom. Prepare to buy those drinks."

"Nice use of whom, Beckett."

"Yeah, I think you're rubbing off on me Castle."

* * *

Castle drove his Mercedes west from the city to take them to the motor club. It was still cold, too cold for a convertible like his Ferrari, but Spring was trying to make its first tentative appearance, with buds just beginning to appear on trees that would later be swathed in green. They crossed a river and passed a number of small lakes and streams. Beckett relaxed against the rich leather seat, enjoying the view, a reminder of the perks of being a muse to a best selling author. A small voice in the back of her brain reminded her that it was especially true when that author was in love with her, but she beat it back. Even though Castle had just saved her life, yet again, she still wasn't ready to handle that truth. But she was making progress with Dr. Burke, cracks had begun to appear in her inner wall. Why else would she have been so upset at the way Castle looked at Sophia? Why else would she have felt his gut-wrenching pain at Sophia's betrayal in her own heart? As much as she loved driving fast cars, this trip was for him, to try to ease that pain. She just wasn't ready to let him know. Castle had turned on the radio. Almost unconsciously, she sang along with Andrew Belle to the haunting words of "In My Veins."

Castle smiled wistfully as Beckett's rich alto filled the car. He could only wish that she meant the words she sang.

The grounds of the motor club were spectacular. A four mile racing track snaked through majestic terrain. As part of a package that Castle had purchased for the two of them, they were given a complete tour of all the facilities, including a karting area and storage facility for exotic cars. There were sumptuous dining facilities as well, but both Castle and Beckett felt it would be wiser to subject themselves to the g-forces of a race on an empty stomach. Food could be left for later in the day.

Beckett stuffed her hair into her helmet and strapped into her car. She wasn't sure how hard she wanted to try. She was younger than Castle and her reflexes were faster. She should win and he would know that. She decided that he would respect nothing less than her best effort. She knew that she wanted nothing less than his. Beckett was knocked back in her seat with speed and exhilaration. She had gotten a split second start on Castle and was out ahead, but not by much. Perhaps with the experience that came from owning a Ferrari, Castle drove with skill as well as determination. It would take everything she had to maintain her lead. As the end of the race approached, they were almost even and Castle was gaining. Their finish was determined by sensors in the cars and sensors in the road. Beckett had won by a millisecond. Had the race been even slightly longer, it might have gone the other way.

"I guess I'm buying drinks," Castle told Beckett, pretending disappointment, but gazing at her in admiration. There was only one round for Castle, as he was driving them back to the city that night, but it was a fine wine paired with an extraordinary dinner. They began with escargot. Castle was truly pleased that Beckett was adventuresome enough to both eat and enjoy it. The palate cleansing sorbet sent tingling refreshment through Beckett's tongue and the fillet mignon was so tender that Beckett thought she could have cut it with a puff of air. A dazzling pastry tray was offered for dessert. They both opted for the dark sensuality of a midnight fudge cake so rich it took half an hour to get through small slices. They lingered over espressos, the jolt of caffeine reviving Castle for the drive back to the city.

* * *

Nightfall made the trip to Manhattan seem almost otherworldly. In the absence of city lights, the Milky Way was splashed brightly against the black sky. The almost leafless trees were stark against a glowing moon. Castle had loaded the contents of a USB drive into the sound system. Beckett closed her eyes and let the cool yet steamy jazz wash over her.

"We're here." Castle's voice was a shock as he opened Beckett's passenger door. The Mercedes was parked in front of her building, but she had no memory of getting there. Somewhere between wails of a sax, she had drifted into dreamless slumber. Castle extended a hand to help her out of the car and was surprised when she took it.

"Do you want to come in?" Beckett asked.

Regretting it, even as the words left his mouth, Castle begged off saying: "No, I've got to get back. Ever since your car went into the water, Alexis gets nervous if I'm gone too long. She's afraid that next time I'll drown."

"That's what would have happened to me without you," Beckett told him, meaning more than the plunge in the river. "Thank you."

"Always."

A/N My husband helped me with this one. Cars are not really my thing, but he is a racing fan. I wrote it wearing the Castle Writer shirt he got me for Christmas. Let's hear it for understanding spouses! Here is your daily reminder to support Nathan's Charity Water Campaign. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist if you need the URL. If you like watching streams from Nerd HQ, you might consider supporting them too. It would be a sad July without Nathan's panel and it's all for Operation Smile. I can give you that URL too.


	20. Chapter 20

Moment in Time

A Dance With Death

"Oona, thank you so much for stopping by," Martha gushed.

"Thank you, Martha," Oona answered patronizingly, "and I'll be sure to find a few inches of column space to mention your little school."

Martha kept her smile pasted solidly in place. "Oh good, and thank you. I really appreciate that dear."

Castle came through the door of the loft, right into the center of the conversation.

"Oh Richard, good. You're just in time to say goodbye to Ooona."

Castle forced a smile to his lips as his mother had done. "Oh, how nice to see you again."

"It's lovely to see you as well and I look forward to hearing from you," Oona told him.

Castle's eyebrow rose. "Hearing from..."

"Well I know you're in a hurry dear," Martha said, urging Ooona toward the door, and I'll call you. We _will _have lunch."

"Yes," Oona agreed.

"Bye-bye," Martha called brightly before hurriedly closing the door behind Oona's retreating form.

"Ah, all's well that end's well," Martha sang.

"Mother," Castle asked, "Why would Oona Marconi be looking forward to hearing from me?"

"Well, darling," Martha answered, you did say if there was any way that you could help...,"

"That you should let me know," Castle finished. "Exactly what did you promise her without asking me first?

"Martha handed Castle a box. "That you would read her novel, critique it, and give it to your publisher, and one more thing."

Castle steeled himself. "What, Mother?"

"Oona's organized a benefit for the Critic's Society. She wants you to attend and auction off a first edition of one of your books."

Castle shook his head. "Great!"

"Darling," Martha coaxed. "It won't be so bad. Ask Katherine to go with you. It will give you an excuse to spend some time with her without a case."

Castle considered what Martha said and smiled at the thought of Kate in his arms. He'd just have to convince her. There was also the faint hope that if Martha could get her school off the ground, she might find her own place to live. "All right Mother, for you, I'll do it."

* * *

Beckett was sitting at her desk, slowly working her way through piles of paper. "Castle," what are you doing here?" she asked. "I'm just doing paperwork."

"I could help," Castle offered.

Beckett gazed at him with skepticism. "You offering to help with paperwork?" Beckett made a show of feeling his forehead. "You're not delirious with fever, so what do you want, Castle?"

"Beckett, I'm wounded. Do I have to want something to offer to help my partner?"

"With paperwork, yes," Beckett answered. "So why don't you just spit it out?"

"You remember my Mother's debacle with Oona Marconi?" Castle asked.

"Yes."

"Well I can fix it, but I have to go to a benefit tonight. I was hoping you'd go with me, help me fend off the piranhas, not to mention Oona. She also wants me to read a novel she wrote."

"And you want to use me as cover?" Beckett asked, not believing a word of Castle's explanation.

"That's about it," Castle agreed.

"And you'll be here all day helping me finish up my paperwork?" Beckett continued.

Castle raised his right hand. "I promise."

Beckett extended a hand to shake his. "Deal." She handed him a large stack of folders. "You can start with these."

* * *

Everything glittered. From the chandelier in the ballroom of the hotel, to the champagne flutes, to the fortune in jewels worn by the attendees. Castle gazed at the woman on his arm. There was no doubt that she out-shined anything or anyone else in the room. Her dress was simple, a blue Herve Leger that he had seen before, but that only let her natural beauty glow that much more brightly. He knew that to the crowd, looked like the luckiest man in attendance. He could only wish that some day he and Kate would truly be a couple.

The dance music was unintrusive, but upbeat. Beckett maintained a traditional frame in Castle's arms. It would have been so tempting just to lay her head on his shoulder and sway, as she would have at prom, if she had ever attended one. She had been working so hard with Dr. Burke to bring down the wall that trapped her feelings inside, but she wasn't there yet. She gazed at the blue eyes, not so far above hers, with the four inch heels she wore. She could fall into those eyes, soon, but not tonight. Her reverie was broken by the approach of Oona Marconi.

"I'm sorry dear," Oona told Kate, grabbing Castle's arm. "I need Mr. Castle to start the auction. I'll bring him back to you shortly."

Beckett watched Castle being dragged off with amusement. She had to give him credit, he did his best for Oona. As he read some of the sexier passages from the book to jack up the price, she had been tempted to bid on it herself. The book went for at least ten times what it was worth and true to her word, Oona escorted Castle back to Beckett. "Enjoy, the evening, you two," she told them, "and Richard I'm really looking forward to your opinion on my book."

"Have you looked at it yet?" Beckett asked after Oona had left them.

"Looked at what?" Castle asked.

"Her book."

Castle gave a little wince. "I skimmed it last night. I promised my mother I'd be kind. That will take some creativity on my part."

Beckett gave Castle an encouraging smile. "I'm sure you're up to it. You're the most creative person I know."

"Why Beckett! A compliment! I'm going to have to find out what kind of champagne they're serving and stock up."

"Don't knock yourself out, Castle," Beckett riposted. "I don't think we'll be drinking champagne together again anytime soon." Castle's face fell and she was immediately sorry, but she couldn't take it back. They watched the rest of the auction in awkward silence.

At the close of the bidding the band resumed playing. Beckett touched Castle's arm, simply saying, "Dance with Me." The song was "Lady in Red," which would have been perfect had Beckett not been wearing blue. Castle didn't seem to mind. He held her close as the music took them. Beckett turned her face up to his and smiled.

* * *

"Thank you, Beckett," Castle said, as he delivered her to her door. "You kept the raging horde at bay."

"I had fun," Beckett told him.

"Well, good night then. Tomorrow?" Castle asked.

"Tomorrow," Beckett agreed. "And Castle..."

"What?"

"I'd drink champagne with you anytime."

A/N This was the last happy episode in season four before "47 Seconds" when Castle found out that Beckett lied about not remembering hearing him profess his love. They were supposed to be drawing closer, so I thought I'd let them a bit, before disaster struck. So now Nathan has been written up as an Eco-Saint due to the Charity Water project. Let's keep it going! Also remember Nerd HQ. If you need URLs or are just so inclined, tweet me CheerfulChemist.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N If you follow me, you know I did another AU story on "Probable Cause", "Foiling the Frame." This one is less creepy and not quite so hard on our heroes. Also the method of discovering Tyson's trickery in this one is different and less bloody. It came to me when I was watching "Probable Cause" on TNT last night. Another night will pass before I post this. I remind you again of Nathan's Charity Water campaign and also of Nerd HQ. Tweet me CheerfulChemist if you need info.

Moment in Time

Probable Cause

Ryan pointed at the video. "Here's our time code for our point of sale. That's our guy." A man walked up to the jewelry counter.

"Look at his height, build, hair color," Esposito exclaimed in dismay. "That's not Kurtzman!" The customer's face appeared in profile, his left cheek visible. "That's Castle!"

"There's got to be another explanation," Beckett insisted.

"Like what?" Esposito asked.

"I don't know. It's somebody else," Beckett suggested in desperation, "somebody that looks like Castle.

* * *

Beckett was living a nightmare. The evidence found in Castle's loft, the barbed wire, the emails, it couldn't be true! After shedding her tears with Lanie, Beckett was more determined than ever to find something, anything that made sense. She stared at the video of the jewelry store on her laptop, running it over and over. She was startled when an officer from Holding tapped her on the shoulder. "Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle asked to see you.

"Kate!" Castle called as Beckett approached. "Kate, it was Tyson. He was here last night. He disabled the surveillance, so no one could see him or hear him. He engineered the whole thing. He was in the loft. He even saw us - together. Kate, he wants to kill me. The minute I go to the Tombs, I'll be taken out."

"Castle," Beckett said softly, not sure who she was trying to comfort more, Rick or herself, "there has to be some sign somewhere, something that he missed. We'll find it."

"Then you believe me?" Castle asked pressing his face up against the metal mesh.

"I never stopped," Beckett told him, pushing her fingers through the wire to touch his cheek. She brushed the roughness that had formed on his jaw and smiled. "I love this freckle." Beckett's eyes widened in realization. "Castle, the man's face in the video, it's the left side! If that freckle is missing I can show that it's not you! I have work to do!

"Ryan! Javi!" Beckett called as she returned to the bullpen.

Ryan and Esposito stood with Beckett in front of the screen in the tech room zooming in on the face of the figure at the counter. There was no freckle. "See!" Beckett exclaimed. "It's not Castle. Somebody used a double, and you guys know who uses doubles."

"Captain," Beckett pleaded, "just look. This is a blow up of the left side of Castle's face. This is the face on the video. It's not the same man."

"All right, Detective," Gates replied, "I'll give you that, but what about all the other evidence?"

"Planted!" Ryan interjected with uncharacteristic vociferousness. "This is what Jerry Tyson does. He uses people, things, to lay a false trail. It's a frame, Captain."

"Sir," Beckett continued. "The D.A. Has already filed charges. Castle will be arraigned and taken to the Tombs where Tyson will have someone kill him. We can't let that happen."

"You've made your point, Detectives," Gates agreed. "I'll talk to the D.A."

"A.D.A. Toni Gonzalez was skeptical. "You're asking me to delay the transfer of a murder suspect on the basis of a freckle?"

"Ms. Gonzalez," Gates told her. "I have never been Mr. Castle's greatest fan, but he does have a history with Jerry Tyson and this whole set-up, including the video, fits Jerry Tyson's M.O.. We just need more time to gather evidence."

"Captain Gates," Gonzalez replied. "I'm not sure I buy any of this, but I was the one who held the hands of Jerry Tyson's victims after this precinct let him slip through its fingers. If he is involved, I want him as much as you do. I will give you twenty-four hours to develop some new evidence."

"I'm sorry," Beckett apologized as she cuffed Castle. "This is the only way Gates would let us do this."

"It's okay," Castle told her, "not as much fun as the other night at your place, but okay."

Beckett led Castle from his cell. "Hey you remember the first time you cuffed me?" Castle asked.

Beckett smiled as she remembered. "It was at the public library, you were..."

This time, a look of realization came over Castle's face.

"What?" Beckett asked.

"Beckett, we need to go to the library, right now. I think I know how Tyson found my double."

Beckett and Castle rushed down the steps of the resource room, Castle's jacket draped over his hands to cover the cuffs. "We're looking for "Broadway Casting," he told her. "Mother used to have it around all the time." Beckett pulled issues off the shelves and flipped the pages with Castle looking on. "There!" Castle exclaimed, pointing at an ad and drawing looks from other patrons. Castle lowered his voice. "They were casting for a book party and look who they wanted: me." Beckett used her phone to take a picture of the ad.

Beckett pulled up in front of the casting agency. "Screw it!" she said, unlocking Castle's cuffs. "You can't go in there like that and I'm not leaving you in the car. For all I know, Tyson could be watching us."

The receptionist at the desk remembered the ad and gave Beckett and Castle contact information for the person who placed it and the actor who filled the role. She stared at Castle. "You know, you could do a pretty good Richard Castle yourself."

"Actually, I'm more into Jason Bateman," Castle told her, "but thanks."

Beckett called Esposito with the contact information for the person who had placed the ad, but it was a bust.

Beckett and Castle met with Paul Dyson, the barrista come faux Castle. He did look amazingly like Castle, at least from the back and sides, but his eyes were closer together and he spoke with a Boston accent that spoiled the illusion. He definitely had no freckle on his cheek. Castle really couldn't see the resemblance at all, causing Beckett to suppress a smile. Dyson identified Jerry Tyson as a producer who had told him he was making a reality show and enlisted him to buy the earrings. He had no phone number or address for Tyson, but he was able to tell Beckett the corporation name on the check. She called Esposito to run it.

Esposito reported that the corporation was owned by a Joseph Vacher, but that there was no such person. "Yes there was," Castle informed him, "he was a French serial killer. Tyson's got a sense of humor."

The evidence took on new importance when Ryan reported that Tessa's calendar showed a meeting with a J.V., and gave the address. The N.Y.P. D. descended on the house given in the address en masse. The company included Captain Gates, so Beckett handcuffed Castle again before leading him in. The evidence was spread out for all to see, the barbed wire, surveillance photos, plans of Castle's loft. Gates looked at Beckett standing with Castle. "Oh for heavens sakes, Detective!" Gates exclaimed, "uncuff the man! He obviously isn't guilty, at least not of murder. I'll call the D.A. and get the charges dropped. You two go back to the station and start the paperwork."

With all the other police in the building and under the cover of rapidly descending darkness, Beckett's and Castle's passion exploded. Their lips met as their bodies collided. Castle's hands fisted in Beckett's hair as she held his face in her hands. Heat engulfed them as Beckett was thrust against the car, Castle kissing her ever more deeply. As through a fog, Beckett heard the opening of a car door, as a uniformed unit prepared to leave. She pulled away. "Rick, we have to stop. Someone will see." Castle reluctantly stepped away from her and got into the car.

"Thank you," Castle said, as they stopped at a bridge, opened to allow a boat to pass underneath.

"For what?" Beckett asked.

"For believing in me. Given my reputation, my history, and after those emails, it would have been real easy not to."

"Well, things have never been easy between us," Beckett replied.

"Maybe that's what makes it all worth..."

Beckett and Castle were thrust toward the dash as the car was rammed from behind. Castle put a hand to his head, dazed as a trickle of blood ran down his forehead. Beckett grabbed for her gun as shots poured through the back window. "Castle, it's Tyson. Get down."

Beckett squeezed off shot after shot, even as it appeared that Tyson was down, but as she approached Tyson's car, he grabbed her. Beckett's gun skittered away. "C'mere, Castle," Tyson called out. "I've got your girl! Are you watching?" I want you to see this. After all you've done, did you think I'd let you live? I want you to watch while I take her life." Tyson edged closer to Beckett's car but Castle wasn't there.

"Over here!" Castle shouted, emptying Beckett's gun into Tyson as fast as he could pull the trigger. Tyson's body dropped into the churning waters below. Beckett ran into Castle's arms.

The divers couldn't find a body. "They won't," Castle told Beckett grimly. "Don't you see? He set this whole thing up. He wanted to be able to kill again. He needed the police to stop looking for him. He had to disappear, but it had to be public and it had to be final."

"Castle," Beckett insisted. "You shot him. He's dead."

"For now," Castle murmured to himself.

Beckett brushed back the errant strands of hair falling on Castle's brow. "Castle, we're both tired. You've got blood on your face."

"Castle smiled wanly. "So do you."

"Then how about if we get Ryan and Esposito to give us a ride back to your loft. We can both get cleaned up and go back to the precinct to finish the paperwork to make you a free man."

With Esposito at the wheel, Beckett and Castle settled into the back seat of the car. For once, Castle had absolutely no interest in calling shotgun. Beckett leaned into Castle's shoulder and their hands entwined as the car sped through the rapidly brightening day.


	22. Chapter 22

Moment in Time

Significant Others

"Yes, and if you could have some strawberries and champagne sent up there waiting... perfect. Cedric," Castle said, "I owe you."

Castle put his phone away and joined Beckett at the murder board, where she was deep in thought. "Michelle fights with her boyfriends, sets up a meeting with an accountant and then she hires a photographer. What the hell was she into?"

"I don't know," Castle said with a grin, "but why don't we discuss it tonight in our oversized Jacuzzi at the Four Seasons where I just booked us the Ambassador Suite?"

"Why would you do that?" Beckett asked.

"Because your place is still being fumigated and my loft is still overrun with redheads. So I thought, why not just go and enjoy ourselves?"

"Castle, I thought you were going to take care of it."

"I was, but Meredith played the mother card on me. Please Beckett, just go with me so we can have some time together, like we were going to before Alexis got sick. This will be even better because Mother won't be there either."

"Okay, Castle," Beckett agreed. "I could use a soak - or whatever, in a giant Jacuzzi."

* * *

The room was gorgeous. Cedric had not only supplied strawberries and champagne, but fresh flowers. The pillow on one side of the bed held a deep red rose. Castle picked it up and handed it wordlessly to Beckett. "Ow!" she exclaimed.

"What's the matter?" Castle asked.

"Thorn," Beckett answered, examining the drop of blood welling from her finger.

Castle sucked away the blood with a kiss and stroked her cheek. "All the best roses have thorns," he said, holding her gaze. "It's the price for their beauty."

"Did you get that out of a fortune cookie, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"No," Castle answered, "Snapple bottle, but it was good, right?"

Beckett smiled and brushed his lips with hers. "Yeah, it was good. Is there anything to eat around her besides strawberries? I'm starved."

"Whatever you want," Castle told her. "We can order room service or go down to one of the restaurants."

"What's faster?" Beckett asked.

Castle's eyes twinkled. "You really are starving. They have a fifteen minute menu here. It's simple stuff, clubs, hummus, but it's fast."

"Sounds good," Beckett told him.

The waiter arrived promptly in fifteen minutes and was rewarded with a substantial tip from Castle. In consideration of the limited nature of the menu, Castle had ordered everything, which meant shrimp cocktails, organic smoked turkey clubs with fries, blue corn chips with both guacamole and salsa, and hummus with grilled flat bread.

"Castle, I don't know where to start," Beckett said, surveying the cornucopia the waiter had laid out on the dining table in the suite.

"Try this," Castle suggested, popping a shrimp into her mouth.

"You're getting sauce on my face," Beckett complained.

"You look cute that way," Castle told her.

Beckett rolled her eyes and wiped the corner of her mouth with a linen napkin.

The shrimp were spicy and Castle opened the champagne to cool the heat. He refilled their glasses for the sandwiches. "I have to say, Castle," Becket told him, "I've never had champagne with a club sandwich before."

"Do you like it?" Castle asked. "Yeah," Beckett smiled, "I kinda do." Ketchup dripped off one of her fries leaving a trail on her blouse. A quick cleaning with ice water left a cold wet blotch.

"You know," Castle suggested, reaching for a button, "you could just take that off." He walked across the suite and stuck a hand in the waters of the Jacuzzi. "The temperature's perfect." Coming back to her, he reached for the next button. A whisper came from deep in his throat, "I could help you."

Beckett rested her head against Castle's chest as she sat in the vee of his legs and leaned against him. The swirling waters were a warm caress adding to the heat already spreading though her veins. The scent of rose petals drifted up in the vapors rising from the water. Castle gently stroked her skin. A daydream came softly behind the lids of her eyes. There was no case, no crime, no intrusion. She and Castle were alone on a beach, far away. The sky overhead was almost as blue as his eyes, with just wisps of clouds. The ocean waves came gently, tickling their toes with foam and the sun on their skins was just hot enough. "Castle," she whispered.

"Right here," he murmured softly.

Beckett turned to him, feeling her way, still caught in the dream. Their lips met with the taste of spice and champagne. Beckett was buoyant and Castle pulled her close, lest she float away. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingertips thrust into his hair. They were one. The water lapped at the sides of the tub, almost overflowing as they moved together, until the waves pulsed through them as well. Beckett rested in Castle's arms as the fragrant bubbles surrounded them both.

The Four Seasons had the fluffiest of robes. Warmly wrapped, Beckett and Castle snuggled in front of the fireplace as she bit into the juicy berries he placed in her mouth and they drank the last of the champagne. Beckett sighed. "I could get used to this."

"How often does your apartment need fumigating?" Castle asked.

"I don't know." Beckett answered. "You can never tell when there's going to be an influx of pests, but if this is what happens, I think I can handle it."

"Good to know," Castle replied.

* * *

Castle faced Beckett in the bedroom, nervous beyond words. Beckett had just had dinner with his ex-wife and they were laughing about him. Could things get much worse? "Beckett, please," he begged. "What did Meredith say about me? Is there something I should be worried about?"

"You know what, Castle," Beckett said laughing, "as much fun as it would be to continue torturing you, I actually like you a bit better now."

"You do?" Castle asked in surprise?"

"I do," Beckett told him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Meredith is a fun, dynamic, hard to say no to woman and I understand what happened."

As Castle drew Beckett in for a kiss, he cell phone sounded. "Let it go to voice mail," Castle told her.

"It's the precinct," Beckett told him, but she couldn't resist the look in his eyes. The call could wait.

A/N Even though Nathan has met his goal, I'll remind you that more wells are always needed. You can contribute to Charity Water until March 31. Nerd HQ isn't even close to their goal, they can really use help. If you need URL's tweet me CheerfulChemist


	23. Chapter 23

Moment in Time

After the Storm

"No? What does she mean no?" Castle asked in surprise.

"I'll have to serve out my suspension, same as Esposito," Beckett told him.

"What are you going to do in the meantime?"

"Oh," Beckett replied, bringing a hand toward Castle's well shaped behind, "I'll think of something."

Castle gazed down at Kate, two mugs of coffee in his hands. Her lashes lifted as she stretched and smiled.

"You still don't have anything in your refrigerator," Castle told her, handing her a mug. "You want to go out to breakfast?"

"Yeah," Kate said saucily, "I seem to have worked up quite an appetite. I can't imagine how."

"I can't imagine it either," Castle teased, putting their coffees aside for a gentle kiss. Putting her arms around his neck, Kate brought him closer, thoughts of food suddenly flying from their heads. Castle's cell phone went off with ring-tone straight from a Flint movie, one that Kate had never heard Castle use before. "Sorry, I really need to get that," he told Kate, pulling away and speaking into the phone. "Okay, we'll meet you then."

"What was that all about?" Kate asked.

"I'll tell you over breakfast," Castle assured her, "but we have to get going."

* * *

"What's going on, Castle?" Kate pressed as they sat in a diner over lattes and goat cheese omelets.

"That was agent Danberg on the phone," Castle explained. "I asked for his help."

"With what?"

"Kate, you made your deal with Bracken essentially on a bluff. You told him you had the file, but all you have is that account number. How long can that keep you safe? We need a way to put that file back together. The CIA has equipment for that. Danberg is going to let us use it. Apparently he feels he owes us a favor for helping figure out who the linchpin was."

"How did you even manage to get in touch with him?" Kate asked.

"Remember agent Gray?" Castle asked. "He passed on a message. I called him while you were asleep."

"Without asking me Castle?" Kate asked, an edge in her voice.

"Kate, I thought we were past the point where I have to ask for permission to try to keep you alive."

Kate nodded slowly. "We are. Thank you. What are we supposed to do?"

"He's meeting us later this morning, in a parking garage." Castle replied, his mouth quirking.

Kate laughed. "Of course. Where else?"

* * *

Bag of tattered paper in hand, Beckett and Castle put the familiar black hoods over their heads. The trip to the CIA facility was fairly swift, leading Castle to believe that it was not far from Manhattan. The high tech array was as dazzling as ever. Beckett and Castle were lead to a room where the precious confetti was poured in a hopper to be scanned. A computer program was employed to assemble the pieces, its progress displayed on a large screen. This may take a while, Danberg told them, handing them CIA mugs of coffee. You might as well get comfortable.

Castle and Beckett watched the screen as parts of multiple puzzles were slowly pieced together. "How did you know about this Castle?" Beckett asked.

"They were just getting the system up and running when I was doing my research - with Sophia," Castle finished slowly. Wordlessly, Kate took his hand. Several hours later, the computer had accomplished as much of its task as was possible. The file was far from complete, but there were copies of money orders and bank statements as well as copies of unaltered police reports. The prize was a list of payments from Raglan, McAllister, and Roy Montgomery himself, to Bracken. The file would be enough to take Bracken down, but it could also have disastrous consequences for Roy's family. If the information was ever used, it would have to be with great care. For safety, several copies were printed out.

Castle and Beckett thanked Danberg and took a hooded journey back to the garage. "Now what?" Beckett asked?

"We need safe places," Castle told her. "We could leave one copy with my lawyer. I have a safety deposit box."

"Tell me it's not in the bank that blew up," Beckett said.

"Castle laughed. No. Besides, Mother started dating the manager there. Things could get awkward. Do you have one?"

Beckett nodded.

"Are you all right with my lawyer and the two boxes?" Castle asked, "or do you have another idea?"

"I think we should leave a copy with my father's firm," Beckett replied.

"Good idea," Castle agreed.

Jim Beckett came out to meet Castle and Kate in the reception area of his law firm. "Katie, Rick, always nice to see you. What brings you here?"

"Dad, we need to talk in private," Beckett told him.

"What's this all about?" Jim Beckett asked as Kate and Castle settled into comfortable leather chairs in his office.

Kate glanced at Castle, giving him a silent signal to explain. Jim Beckett could not miss that Rick took Kate's hand. "Sir," Castle began. "We have some documents that can protect Kate from the men who are after her. We need them kept safe."

"Dad," Kate continued, "we'll also need them released if anything happens to me or anyone close to me. There are also some documents relating to Captain Montgomery. You would have to use your judgment about what would be disclosed."

Jim Beckett leaned his chin on steepled fingers. "Katie, are you still in danger?" he asked.

"I don't think so, Dad. Not if we keep these documents safe."

Jim Beckett was not satisfied. "Rick?"

"Sir, until we can bring down the man behind Kate's shooting and your wife's death, this is our best chance to keep Kate safe. We'll also have copies in other places."

"All right, "Jim Beckett agreed. As Castle and Kate stood, Jim Beckett reached out to hug her. "I love you Katie."

"I love you too, Dad," Kate said kissing his cheek.

Jim Beckett extended a hand to Castle. "Thank you, Rick."

Two other sets of documents were stowed, one with Castle's lawyer, who asked no questions, and one in a safety deposit box for which Kate and Castle both got keys. Castle and Kate returned to her apartment, tired but relieved.

Kate sat on the edge of her bed. "can you help me get my boots off, Castle?" she asked.

Castle more than happily eased them off her legs. "Something on your mind, Beckett?"

Beckett pulled him down beside her and turned to straddle his lap. "I just thought we'd pick up where we left off."

Castle brought his lips toward hers. "I think that was just about here."

A/N There is a giant hole in the assumption that Beckett and Bracken are even after The Belly of the Beast. He was not leaving her alone because she saved his life. He was leaving her alone because he thought she had the file. Actually giving her the file really doesn't change canon in that respect. He still should think she has something on him, whether she actually does or not. I just thought it was a shame that nothing further was done on air to restore the file. Kate can use all the help she can get. Who better to get it from than Castle and her Dad? Here is your daily reminder for Nathan's Charity Water and Nerd HQ. Tweet me CheerfulChemist if you need URLs.


	24. Chapter 24

Moment in Time

Reality Star Struck

"Well clearly they have a lot more to hide than the fact that they were sleeping together," Gates said. Castle looked at the bulge in Gates' pockets created by the box that held Beckett's Valentine's earrings and thought about what he and Kate were hiding. He had to get the box back.

"Well this is a plot twist I didn't see coming," Castle said.

"Hey," Ryan told the group, "so I did some digging into the apartment. Ocean Terrace holdings, it's a shell company owned by Bob. The lease began just after he and Hannah started their affair."

While Gates was distracted, Castle crept closer and snagged the box just as Gates stepped closer to the window. Castle breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

With the case solved as a murder by the blushing bride, Ryan left for a Valentine's night with Jenny and Esposito and Lanie for a French restaurant. "Are you ready to go?" Castle asked Beckett.

"Where?" Beckett asked.

"You apartment, I just have to make a call." Castle spoke softly into his phone. "Half an hour," he told the person on the other end.

"What are you up to, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"You'll see," Castle told her.

Castle and Beckett had enough time to take off their coats before a knock sounded at the door. Two men in tuxedos arrived laden with containers. "Mr. Castle," one of the asked, "where would you like us to set up?"

Castle indicated the table, which was soon covered with a red linen table cloth, white linen napkins artfully folded, gleaming china, flatware and sparkling glassware. Salads were fresh and crisp, a large covered container held Chateaubriand for two. Another container held chilled chocolate covered strawberries. A bottle of red wine was uncorked. A waiter offered a small amount to Castle to taste. Castle in turn offered it to Kate for her approval. She tasted the liquid with a dreamy smile on her face. When everything had been revealed, the waiters looked at Castle expectantly. Castle handed them several large bills and they bowed and left quietly.

Castle plugged his phone into Beckett's dock. The mellow sounds of Sinatra singing "My Funny Valentine" filled the room. "Castle, how did you do all this?" Beckett asked.

"I put in the order for the meal weeks ago," Castle told her. "They were just waiting for my call for where and when. I just got lucky we finished the case when we did."

"It's beautiful, Castle," Kate said.

"There's more," Castle said, pulling the jewelry box from his pocket. "Happy Valentine's Day."

Beckett gazed at the sapphire earrings. "They're exquisite Castle," Kate told him.

"Then what's that look?" Castle asked.

"I'm just not sure about what I got you."

"Show me."

"After dinner," Beckett told him.

Castle popped the last strawberry into Beckett's mouth and ran his fingers down her cheek. "Finished with dinner?"

Beckett swallowed the strawberry, dabbing at the juice at the corner of her mouth. "What's your hurry Castle?"

"I just want to know what you got me."

Beckett laughed. "Sometimes you are such a little boy." She walked to her dresser. "Look in the drawer."

Castle pulled out the drawer she pointed at, felt around inside, and looked at Beckett, puzzled. "Maybe it's in another drawer."

Beckett smiled hesitantly. "It is the drawer. It's your drawer. I mean it's not a light saber, but..."

Castle's eyes shown. "No, it's perfect."

Beckett held his face in her hands as their lips met in infinite sweetness. "Happy Valentine's Day," she told him. "Now take your clothes off, put them in your drawer, and meet me in the bed."

Feeling lucky about more than the ending of the case, Castle watched the undulation of her retreating form and attempted to loosen the links holding the cuffs of his handmade shirt together. They wouldn't budge. "Seriously!" he cried out in frustration."

Beckett turned to look at him. "Castle?"

"Damn links won't come loose. Talk about spoiling the mood."

"Let's see what we can do about that," Beckett suggested.

Beckett caught a reticent link in her teeth and pulled. It opened and she pulled it loose, tossing into Castle's open drawer. "Give me the other one," she commanded and treated it similarly as Castle extended his wrist. "Need more help?" she asked.

Castle swallowed and nodded. Beckett unbuttoned his shirt, placing strawberry kisses on his chest as she pulled the fabric away. Castle gasped and reached for his belt to speed the process along. Beckett folded his shirt and tucked it into the beckoning drawer but Castle found that his fingers barely worked. Finally the clothes were stowed.

Beckett was waiting. Castle thought he had never seen her look more beautiful. Her lashes were dark over hazel eyes, the light in the room reflected off the highlights in her hair and her skin glowed. She was a gift that out-shined any precious gems and to be given a place in her private space was priceless. Showing how much he treasured her might be beyond expression, but he was going to try. He tried to be slow, touching and loving every inch of her skin.

Kate luxuriated in Rick's touch, but she wanted more. "Rick," she pleaded, plundering his mouth. They were thrust together in white hot flame. There was no slowing down. Stopping would have been impossible. Even as the strength of the explosion threw them apart, they clung, hands tightly clasped. Night found them in each others' arms.

Kate wrapped her arms around Castle's waist as he stood at the kitchen sink. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Cleaning up the dishes from last night," he answered. "I'm going to return them to the restaurant. I put down a deposit."

Beckett stepped back. "A deposit Castle, really?"

Castle turned and smiled at her. "Got you! There's no deposit. They're yours. I just wanted you to have a clean kitchen."

Beckett returned the smile. "That's sweet. I'm going to make coffee."

As Beckett turned to her task, Castle surreptitiously checked the display on his phone for charges for the unreturned table settings, gulping a bit at the multiple zeros. He lifted his eyes to see Beckett happily smiling to herself as she loaded the water and fragrant ground beans. He put away the phone. It was worth it.

A/N I don't know about you guys, but when I watched the end of this episode, I was yelling "D-mit, just tear it!" at the screen. I hope this is even a little better than that. Here is your daily reminder for Charity Water and Nerd HQ. Tweet me CheerfulChemist if you need info.


	25. Chapter 25

Moment in Time

Hunt

Castle grabbed Alexis' hand and began to run down the back corridor. The thug squeezed off a single shot before Castle pushed him out of the way by sheer force of will. Father and daughter seemed to run forever, through the alleys to the steps of the Embassy where a marine was waiting to lead them in. Castle's legs were turning to lead as he climbed, but he kept up the pace until the doors were firmly locked behind them.

Alexis threw her arms around her father's neck, clinging to the comfort that had always been there for her. Feeling something warm and wet, she stepped back. "Dad," she cried in horror, "you're bleeding! You've been shot!"

* * *

Beckett sat at her desk at the 12th wearily rubbing her eyes. The sixth cup of coffee hadn't helped. Castle had called once to let her know he was all right after her last call to him had been cut off with the sound of a shot. He said he knew where Alexis was and he was going to rescue her. Scenarios swam behind her eyelids, none of them good. She was startled by the ringing of her cell. The call was from Paris. "Castle?" she asked.

"Detective Beckett, it's Alexis. Dad I and are in the American Embassy in Paris. I'm okay, but we won't be coming back yet."

A bad feeling stirred in the pit of Beckett's stomach. "Why?"

"Detective Beckett, Dad's been shot. The doctor here thinks he'll be all right, but they can't move him yet. Can you tell Gram? She shouldn't hear it over the phone."

"Alexis, why isn't your father in a hospital?"

"It's not safe. I can't explain. I'm not allowed to."

"Alexis," Beckett insisted, "I'll tell Martha, but then I'm coming to Paris."

Beckett fervently wished the Concorde was still flying so that she could be in Paris in a few hours. As she was trying to book the first flight she could, she got a call from a blocked number. "Detective Beckett," came a voice on the other end of the phone that reminded her ever so slightly of Castle's, there is a private flight that will take you to Paris."

"Who is this?" Beckett asked.

"A friend," the voice answered. "Let's just say I owe Castle a few favors."

Beckett was skeptical, but followed the instructions to reach an airfield she had never heard of. She was quickly ushered aboard the supersonic jet and arrived in Paris a few hours later. She was escorted without question through the doors of the embassy to the room where Castle lay. Alexis was sitting by the bed and ran to embrace Beckett as she came in.

"How's he doing?" Beckett asked.

"He's in and out," Alexis replied. "I know he'll be glad to see you."

Castle looked almost as pale as the sheets. His chest was bare, but for the stark whiteness of the bandages, and his hair, slightly damp, fell over his forehead. Beckett touched his cheek. "Castle," she called softly.

Castle's lashes fluttered slightly. "Rick," Beckett called again, smoothing back his hair.

Castle's eyes opened slowly. "Kate?" he asked, not quite believing she was there.

Beckett grasped Castle's hand between both of hers and brought it to her cheek. "You idiot," she said, smiling gently. "Why did you come here without me? No wonder you got yourself shot. What did you do, anyway?"

"Sophia was right," Castle murmured before drifting off again.

"Alexis," does this have something to do with the CIA?" Beckett asked.

"Detective Beckett, I don't know what I'm allowed to say," Alexis answered. "Maybe Dad can tell you more when he wakes up again. I'll leave you two alone for awhile."

Exhausted, Beckett drowsed in a chair by Castle's bed. "Kate," he called softly.

Beckett's eyes sprung open. "Castle are you okay?"

"Better," he told her. "I wasn't sure if I dreamed you were here."

"Castle," Beckett asked, "what did you mean when you said Sophia was right?"

"Beckett, remember when Sophia said my father would be proud?"

"Yeah, Castle, but she told a lot of lies."

"That wasn't one of them. My father is a spy, although he calls himself an intelligence asset. He greased the wheels to get me CIA access. He's known about me for most of my life. He's known about Alexis too. Alexis was kidnapped to draw him out so that some Russian could kill him. He orchestrated Alexis' rescue, but no one can know that we did it together. There's some sort of cover story that was cooked up giving credit to Interpol and the French police."

"Castle, that's amazing, but it explains a lot. I think he might have helped me get here. Of course he also got you shot."

"You know Beckett, I was concentrating so hard on getting Alexis out, I didn't even feel it when it happened."

"I bet you do now."

"Castle smiled wryly. "Yeah, but I guess if anyone knows what that's like, it's you. Thanks for coming."

"Always," Beckett replied, "but Castle, promise you won't ever do anything like this again without me."

Castle reached up and brought her lips to his. "I promise."

Life in the American Embassy in Paris could have been worse. There was a steady supply of fresh baguettes and pastry. The dining room had a French chef, who put together a care package for Beckett to take on the transport back to the U.S.. Beckett and the Castle family were accorded considerable respect, apparently through the efforts of Castle's father. The man himself, however, never showed his face. Castle had not really expected him to.

* * *

After the embassy doctor had cleared Castle to travel, the return home was as swift as Beckett's trip to Paris had been. Castle approached his loft holding Alexis' hand on one side and with and an arm around Beckett on the other. Alerted by the doorman, Martha threw open the door. "Darlings, welcome home! You must be starving! I made breakfast."

At that last remark, Castle was grateful for the French delights they had enjoyed on the plane. Martha swept them inside, hugging each in turn. As Beckett and the Castles were doing the best they could with Martha's breakfast offerings, Castle spied a package lying on the counter. "What's that?" he asked.

"It came for you this morning," Martha answered. "Here, I'll get it for you."

Castle slid loose the copy of Casino Royale. "Mother, there's something I'd like to tell you."

A/N Her is your daily reminder about Charity Water and Nerd HQ. Nerd HQ does have a new URL. Tweet me CheerfulChemist for info. I don't usually tell you ahead, but I am bound and determined to fix TSATQ. With luck, that should post tomorrow,


	26. Chapter 26

Moment in Time

The Squab and the Quail

"I'm not sure which one I should be more upset about," Eric Vaughn told Beckett, "that someone tried to shoot my head off or that you pushed me away when I tried to kiss you."

"That fact that you tried to kiss me doesn't say much for you," Beckett told him. "I told you that I was in a serious relationship with Castle and you did it anyway. Under other circumstances I would have done a lot more than push you away. But let's talk about the attempts on your life, about MexiSolar."

"MexiSolar?" Vaughn asked.

"Your company, the one that doesn't exist."

Vaughn looked indignant. "Of course it exists. I founded it and invested millions."

"Right," Beckett agreed. "So did Arthur Felder. thirty million, to be exact." Becket handed Vaughn photographs of an empty building.

"What is this, a joke?" Vaughn asked.

"No, that's MexiSolar," Beckett told him, "and you know it."

"That's crazy," Vaughn said dismissively. "That factory is state of the art. I have cash flow reports, signed contracts."

"You mean these?" Beckett asked, handing him a file. "They're all fake and all signed by you. You're a fraud. And by the way, that's not all that was fake. Your injury from the champagne bottle? You don't even have a bruise. You set this whole thing up. You made sure that you got the wrong entree. You knew exactly when the shot was coming and you made sure it just missed you, conveniently in front of me."

Vaughn squared his shoulders and a look of steel came over the normally seductive face. "You can't prove any of this," he said, his Welsh lilt now peppered with hints of New Jersey.

Beckett smiled. "Will you listen to that. Even the accent is a fake. Well I can prove it. The bank that transferred the money for the neurotoxin captured an IP address and they traced it back to your computer. It's over Eric, everything is over. Turn around.

Beckett snapped handcuffs on. "Eric Vaughn, you are under arrest for the murder of Arthur Felder and I'm sure when the forensic accountants finish going over your files, there'll be a few hundred more charges to add."

* * *

Castle stared through the mesh of Holding at Vaughn. "Come to gloat?" Vaughn asked.

"Actually, yes," Castle told him. "You did everything you could to get Beckett away from me. She and I have done over a hundred cases together and I don't think I've ever been so happy to see someone take the fall. By the way, they caught your man Barber at the Canadian border. He was more than happy to flip on you. The case against you gets more rock solid by the minute."

Vaughn stared back, a cruel smile twisting his moth. "The question is, how solid is your relationship with Kate? It wasn't hard to get her attention. She hesitated before telling me that you were serious and she didn't push me away very hard. Don't be too sure of her."

Bile filled Castle's throat as his stomach twisted. Kate had pushed him away as well, over a video game. Did she feel taken for granted? His mother had said Kate couldn't truly be committed without a ring. Was she right?

* * *

Castle unlocked the safe in his office, pulled out a jewelry box and snapped it open. He gazed at the sparkling diamond he bought when Kate lay between life and death after his declaration of love. After she told him she didn't remember, during the long months when she didn't call, he had locked it away. He pushed it to the back of his mind and the far recesses of his heart. When he knew that he couldn't help her catch her mother's killer without endangering her life, an engagement seemed even more hopeless. Then came the most stunning blow of all. She knew that he loved her, and she had lied about it. He had lied to protect her, but she had lied to protect herself. The hurt had been almost unbearable and he still didn't know quite what to believe. Even after she came to him in the storm, full of apologies and passion, there were so many complications. Their relationship couldn't be known at work. Their lives had been so different. A proposal seemed impossible. Kate still appeared to have one foot out the door and after two failed marriages, he wasn't sure he was ready to risk a third strike. The irony cut to the bone. There had been so many times when he had been willing to give his life for her, but he couldn't give her a ring, not yet. He put it back in the safe. For now, he would have to show his commitment to Kate some other way.

* * *

The room had to be perfect. He lit dozens of candles. He scattered blood red rose petals over painstakingly arranged linens. The music was cued to start at the push of a button. Champagne sat iced and ready. There was one more thing he had to show her. Swallowing, he placed the clippers next to his X-box.

"What is it, Castle?" Kate asked. "I was really comfortable on that couch."

"There's something I need to do," Castle explained. "Something I need you to see."

Castle picked up the clippers and his power cord. "Wait, no!" Kate exclaimed.

Castle cut the cord with a snap.

"Castle, I didn't say that I don't want you to play your game again," Kate protested.

"No, I have other cords. This is just symbolic. But you're right," he confessed, "I have been taking you for granted. So tonight is going to be all about me."

"Shouldn't it be about me?" Beckett asked.

"No," Castle replied, "Because tonight is all about me showing how much I care about you. I'm going to give you a romantic, full body massage." Castle pushed a button on his remote control to start the music and drew Kate against his body for a kiss.

Kate pulled back. "Castle, where are we going?"

Castle smiled. "The bedroom."

"No, Castle, where are _we _going?"

Castle wrapped his arms around Kate, tucking her head under his chin. Light caught the faint glint of tears in his eyes. "I don't know Kate, but wherever it is, I love you."

A/N If I'd wanted to smash canon to smithereens, I could have ended this a bit differently, but we would have lost about five episodes and one of them is a favorite of mine. So at least Vaughn will get what's coming to him. (Evil laugh.) Here's your daily reminder about Charity Water and Nerd HQ. Nerd HQ is still far from its goal and summer is coming, even if it doesn't seem that way. Tweet me CheerfulChemist if you need info.


	27. Chapter 27

Moment in Time

Scared to Death

"You know," Castle said, "if there are going to be photos of us hanging up there we really should pick them out now."

"You know, Castle," Beckett answered with a saucy grin, "we could always use the photo of you I took in bed the other night."

Castle's brow furrowed. "I don't know if that's how I want to be remembered."

Beckett swallowed a laugh. "Castle, I was joking. There will be no photos of us on that murder board. By tomorrow we are going to find a connection between our two victims that will lead us straight to a flesh and blood killer. In the meantime, it's getting kinda late, so why don't we just call it a night? You know what?" Beckett asked, fixing Castle with a come hither gaze, "we could go back to my place tonight and take some more photos."

Looking around to make sure Gates wasn't watching, Castle cupped Beckett's cheek. "Well I might be convinced. Whoa, wait a minute, in just about every horror movie I've ever seen, having sex pretty much guarantees we will die. So for the safety of us both, I say we just … hold off."

"Castle," Beckett purred, framing his face and lightly brushing his lips with her own. It could be our last time. If we're going to die, why not go out with a bang?"

Castle's breath caught in his throat. "You have a point. I'll get my coat!"

* * *

"Castle, you want some wine?" Beckett asked. "I've never seen you more nervous."

"Imminent death has that effect on me." Castle answered. "I don't think wine's going to do it."

"How about this?" Beckett asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Getting there," Castle responded, the hint of a dimple forming at the corner of his mouth.

Beckett threaded her fingers into his hair and met his lips with heat. "How about now?"

Castle pulled Beckett against him with a quick jerk. "Think that just might do it."

As their lips met with almost desperate pressure, thoughts of demons and death flew from Castle's head. There was Kate, only Kate. That hour, that minute was all the mattered. The scent of cherries drifting from her hair, the taste of her mouth, the heat raging across her soft skin, overwhelmed his senses. They fell together in mindless exploration.

Kate's bed was small in comparison with Castle's, but it didn't matter. They were one. Castle gloried in the closeness, moving together, not knowing where Kate left off and he began. The storm overtook them, the force of it throwing them, one against the other, until the final crescendo hurled them apart, breathless but replete.

Slowly, Castle drew Kate into the curve of his body and closed his eyes. Sleep for Castle was brief, even as he held Kate, images swam before his eyes of a tree, an ankh, a masonic compass. As a face locked in a mask of primal fear, seemed to swim out of the darkness, Castle could hear the screams echoing in his mind. Shaking his head to dive the images away, he gazed down at Kate. Neither one of them could die now. Their love, their future together was to much to live for. He was going to solve this.

As quietly as he could, Castle crept from Kate's bed, closing the door gently behind him as he went to her outer room. He dialed a number on his cell phone.

"Hello?" came an irritation tinged voice.

Castle tried his best to sound upbeat. "Wes! Hey, it's Rick."

Wes Craven sighed. "Geez Rick, it's after midnight."

"Yeah, sorry Wes, I was writing and I hit a snag?"

"What's your problem?"

"In my story my hero and my heroine are being menaced by evil spirits that reach out from the beyond. I know you've researched that kind of thing for all your films."

Wes snorted. "Well of course."

"The thing is, right now they only have a day left to live and I can't get them out of it. I was wondering if you knew how to get rid of those pesky suckers."

Wes chuckled. "Okay. The key is always in the spirit's origin story. Once you have that, you can start to figure out the spirit's weaknesses. Look at whatever the spirit is using to get into this world. That's where the clues should be."

"Right Wes, thanks a million."

"You're welcome, Rick, just next time you get writers' block, try to call at a decent hour."

Wes Craven hung up the phone "Writer's block, my ass. The man's writing a movie. Another one to go straight to DVD."

Leaving a note on the table that he was following up a lead at the precinct, Castle slipped out of Beckett's apartment. The 12th was quiet, but no one seemed particularly surprised to see him. He sat down at the computer to review the deadly disk. Taking screen captures, he mailed them to himself and posted them to his followers on twitter, desperately hoping that enough of his followers were night owls.

Beckett awoke in a cold bed. Looking for Castle, she found the note. "Following up a lead?" she muttered to herself. "What lead?" She arrived at the precinct to find Castle slumped in front of the computer screen, his phone in his hand, as if he had been staring at it when he fell asleep. "Castle, she whispered.

"Beckett? What time is it?"

"Four A.M. What are you doing here?"

"I got a brainstorm. We need the spirit's origin story to determine its weaknesses. The clues have to be on its portal to this world, the disk. I'm crowd sourcing the information. I sent images from the disk to my legion of followers on twitter to identify."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Anything yet?"

Castle reactivated the screen on his phone and scrolled through the tweets with a look of disappointment. "Nothing really useful. I wanted to identify the building shown on the disk. It must be in this timezone. Everyone is probably still asleep."

"Imagine that," Beckett commented sarcastically. "Come on. You can get some sleep too. You can always check in a couple of hours."

Beckett led a slightly protesting Castle back to bed for what remained of the night. Castle spooned around her, but his phone was clutched firmly in his hand, even as he dozed. Finally the beep of an alert sounded. Castle looked at the screen. "Beckett," he whispered. "Bedazzlecat39 knows what the building is. It's the Brunswick Inn in Port Campbell."

Beckett sleepily shook her head with a little smile. Somehow Castle had found the clue again. Taking the phone out of Castle's hand, she greeted the day with a kiss.

A/N We're aiming for $200K for Charity Water for Nathan's birthday now. Also remember Nerd HQ. If history is any clue, in the Castleless desert of summer, that will probably be the best chance to see the most video of Nathan. If you need URL's tweet me CheerfulChemist.


	28. Chapter 28

Moment in Time

Still

"Mr. Castle, It's worse than we thought. There's a timer," the Captain Mahoney said grimly.

"How long?" Castle asked.

"About thirty minutes. There is one more slim chance. "We're going to pump some liquid nitrogen in next to the bomb. With luck, we can freeze the timer and gain a little extra time."

"How much time?" Castle asked.

Mahoney shook his head. "I don't know."

"Castle!" Beckett called.

"Good news!" Castle announced to Beckett as he returned to the kitchen. "They have a new strategy for the bomb."

"Castle, I know when you're lying, like when you said you weren't attracted to me." Beckett told him. "What's really happening?"

"There's a timer on the bomb." Castle confessed.

"How long?" Beckett asked?

"About thirty minutes, but Beckett, they are going to try to buy you some time. It could be more."

"It's just as well. I've been standing here for hours. I can't do it much longer, but there is something I need to tell you."

"What?" Castle asked.

"Castle, I wasn't attracted to you when we first met on that first case."

"So you said before. I still don't believe you."

"That's not what I meant," Beckett explained. "We met before that and I already had a thing for you."

"What are you talking about?" Castle asked.

"My mother loved your books. After she died, reading them helped get me through her death. I adored you for that. We met the first time when I stood on line for an hour to get a book signed."

"I don't remember," Castle told her. "I can't imagine not remembering you."

"That's because I was only nineteen and I asked you to sign my book, not my chest. I don't think you even looked up. You probably never saw my face, and if you did, I don't think you would have been interested in a teenager, especially one as wrecked as I was then."

"Kate, why didn't you tell me?"

"Castle, you were a suspect when we met again. I couldn't be all over you like a groupie. Besides, I was disappointed. You were obnoxious. Then you figured things out about the case before I did. I was mad and a little embarrassed."

"Kate, I'm so sorry. Things could have been so different if I'd known."

"Hey, for a detective, there was a lot I didn't see. That person you showed to the world, the one I first saw at that party, that wasn't you. When I saw you with Alexis, with your mother, I realized that you aren't that selfish jerk. You're one of the least selfish people I've ever met. It just took me awhile to really understand how much I really liked you, despite your persona."

"When did that happen?" Castle asked.

Beckett closed her eyes and took a breath. "I think it was when you just put up a hundred thousand dollars to catch Rathborne without even a thought of getting it back. You did that for me! Who does that? Then when I thought Dick Coonan might shoot you, I couldn't live with that, even if it meant losing the best lead to who was behind my mother's murder."

"So that's why you told me you liked having me pull your pigtails."

"Yeah, I guess."

"But Beckett, why Tom Demming? If you wanted to be with me, why didn't you just tell me?"

Beckett shook her head and bit her lip. "I wasn't ready. I was so steeped in my mother's murder that I couldn't admit to my feelings for you, even to myself. When I was ready, when I finally did, I broke up with Demming. I was going to tell you, but Gina showed up and you went off to the Hamptons with her."

Castle put his head in his hands. "And then there was Josh. We lost so much time. If only I'd known."

Captain Mahoney entered the room. "Detective Beckett..."

"I know," Kate told him, "ten more minutes."

"Maybe a little more," Mahoney said, "we haven't shot the liquid nitrogen in yet, but Mr. Castle, you have to leave."

"Can we have a minute alone?" Beckett asked.

"Sure," Mahoney agreed, and left the room.

"Castle, this is goodbye," Beckett said.

"Beckett, no!" Castle exclaimed.

"Castle, you promised that when the time came, you'd help me with something. Well this is it."

Tears sprang to Castle's eyes. "I wish I could kiss you. I wish, so many things."

"No," Beckett soothed. "No regrets. We've had a good run." As Castle slowly walked away she called, "Rick, I love you."

Castle turned to see her, maybe for the last time."I love you too."

In the empty room Beckett carefully pulled out her cell phone to call her father. When he didn't answer, she left him a voice mail telling him she loved him. Beckett stood on the bomb, eyes closed, images swirling in her mind. She could see all the times she had been with Castle. She felt the bullet burn through her chest and heard his voice telling her that he loved her. She could see their times together and feel his mouth on her lips. Suddenly his voice intruded. "What are you, napping? I can come back later."

"Castle, what are you doing here? You promised."

"I promised I'd leave. I didn't promise I wouldn't come back. I brought coffee for when you're off that thing."

"Castle, I've made my peace with this and that didn't include leaving Alexis without a father or Martha without a son."

"I didn't come here to die," Castle told Beckett, showing her the disarming device he had gotten from the bomb disposal unit. They managed to slow down the timer. We have another ten minutes to figure out the code."

"Castle, the chances of that are a hundred thousand to one."

"Fine," Castle told her. "As long as there's a chance, I'm not leaving!"

"You have to!" Beckett insisted.

"What do you want me to do," Castle asked. "leave you standing all the way over there by yourself?"

"Yes! That's exactly what I want you to..."

"Wait, Castle interrupted. "Why are you standing all the way over there. If the bomb was set for the police, it would be by the door."

Beckett picked up Castle's train of thought. "Fosse wanted to get information out of someone."

"That kid, Diego, he worked for the education department!" Castle and Beckett looked at each other with sudden realization. Castle called Ryan and Esposito. "Did Fosse's girlfriend have a kid?" Castle asked.

"Yeah," Ryan answered. "He was born after Fosse was sent to prison."

"That's it!" Beckett and Castle exclaimed together. "The code, it's the kid's name!"

"Ryan," Castle said urgently, "we need the kid's name. We've got two minutes."

"William, the kid's name was William," Ryan answered after what seemed an eternity.

"Only five letters could be entered as a code. "Billy," Esposito suggested.

"Or Willy," Ryan put in.

"Willy," Esposito repeated with disgust. "What mother would hang that on a kid. They'd get beat up on the playground."

"Fifteen seconds," Castle said, looking at the timer he had set on his phone. Castle's eyes met Beckett's. "Your call," he told her.

"Billy," she decided. "Go!"

Castle keyed in the code with no time to spare. His timer hit zero and nothing happened. Then a familiar click emanated from the floorboards. Beckett stepped off and fell into Castle's arms.

"She's off!" Castle's words emanated through the speaker of Esposito's phone and a cheer rose at the 12th.

Beckett sagged against Castle, wincing in pain. "What's the matter?" Castle asked.

"My legs are cramped."

Castle lifted her up onto one of the high stools at the counter to message her protesting calf muscles. Slowly they relaxed under his fingers. "You won't tell anyone about this?" Beckett asked.

Castle smiled. "That you're not invulnerable? My lips are sealed. Can you walk now?"

"I think so," Beckett answered.

With Beckett leaning on Castle's arm, they walked out into the sunlight. "Castle, thank you," Beckett said. "I couldn't have made it without you."

"Always," Castle assured her.

As the warming rays of the sun engulfed them, Castle drew Beckett to him. Their lips had almost met when an unmarked police car noisily announced itself.

"Gates," Castle muttered, pulling away from Beckett.

The car contained not only Captain Gates but Ryan and Esposito. Ryan hugged Castle while Esposito embraced Beckett, assuring her that Gate's hadn't seen her intimate moment with Castle.

"I'm glad to see you, Detective," Gates greeted Beckett. "And you too, Mr. Castle. I don't know many men who would have done what you did."

"I don't either," Beckett agreed, looking around uncomfortably, trying to decide what to do next.

Gates looked disgusted. "Oh for Heaven's sake, Detective," she exclaimed to the total shock of the assembly, "just kiss the man!"

"Sir, you know?" Beckett asked.

"What," Gates asked, "do you think I'm an idiot? I needed to maintain plausible deniability, which I can continue to do, as long as you two behave professionally."

"Captain, I know I can," Castle said, "but she has a long history of..."

"I don't think it will be a problem," Beckett interrupted.

"Well as long as we're on neutral territory, I think he deserves it," Gates told Beckett in a stage whisper. Don't you?"

Beckett smiled. "Yes sir, I do."

Gates, Ryan and Esposito retreated. Castle smiled, readying himself for Beckett's attentions. As Castle's lips approached hers, Beckett pulled back. "You know, Castle," she said, "when I was standing there, I thought of all the times we kissed. I was trying to decide which was the best one."

"And what did you decide?" Castle asked.

"I think we're just starting," Beckett told him.

Their lips finally met. The sky spun, the ground tilted, and Beckett's knees began to buckle. "I know my kisses are powerful," Castle told her, "but are you all right?"

"I think my legs are just giving out," Beckett explained as she leaned against Castle for support.

"Well, you did miss breakfast," Castle mused. "Do you want to go now? I bet the Captain would give us a ride. For once, she likes me."

Beckett smiled. "I'm sure that won't last. But," she suggested, consulting her father's watch, "while it does, let's make it dinner."

Castle held Beckett tightly to him for one more kiss, then linking arms they strode toward the Captain's car and the future.

A/N I know everyone liked this episode a lot, but I thought that if Beckett thought she was dying, she might want to tell Castle the truth. Also, the timing for his coming back in the original was a bit shaky. So here is your daily reminder for Charity Water. Nathan's birthday is less than a week away. Also, Nerd HQ still really needs help. If you need URLs tweet me CheerfulChemist.


	29. Chapter 29

Moment in Time

Secret's Safe With Me

Beckett pulled the stick figure out of the drawer. "So you want to take another shot?" she asked.

"Actually no," Castle answered, to Beckett's surprise. "I thought about what you said and just because we've been - shaking hands - a lot, doesn't give me the right to pry. So when you're ready you'll tell me."

Beckett gazed at the irresistible blue eyes and smiled. "Coney Island."

Castle leaned forward to hear Beckett's story. "We had a reception at our place after the funeral and it was miserable. I was miserable and my dad took my hand and said let's get the hell out of here, Katie. And we took the 'Q" train and we went up to Coney Island. We walked up and down the beach just enjoying ourselves. We were still in our funeral clothes." Beckett held up the stick figure, running her fingers over it in remembrance. "And the best part was that we made this little guy out of the sticks and twine that washed up on the beach."

"Does that make the day a bad memory or a good one?" Castle asked, puzzled.

"Both," Beckett answered. "He's a reminder that even on the worst days, there's a possibility for joy."

Castle smiled. "Nice," he told her, standing to go."

"So," Beckett asked, "we'll talk tonight?"

Beckett took Castle's outstretched hand, another surrogate for a kiss. "I can't wait," Castle told her.

* * *

The loft seemed empty. The presence of some of Alexis' boxes near the door only served as a reminder to Castle of her absence. Beckett knocked on the door. "I thought you might need some cheering up," she said. "I brought this." Beckett extended a DVD.

"The Wonder Twins!" Castle exclaimed in delight. "Where did you find that?"

Beckett laughed. "Children's rack at the video store. I guess I got lucky."

Castle pulled her to him for an enthusiastic kiss. "I think I got lucky. Thank you. I'll just make popcorn and we'll be ready for a marathon."

Beckett pulled a box out of her purse. "They had these at the video store too."

"Wow, red licorice laces. This is going to be great!" Castle enthused.

The stories on the screen proceeded with Jayna and Zan gaining their superpowers by touching each other and exclaiming, "Wonder Twin powers, activate!"

"Imagine being able to transform like that," Castle said as images flashed on the screen. "If you could become any animal, like Jayna, what would you be, an elephant?"

"I do love elephants," Beckett mused, "but Jayna could do mythical animals too. Maybe a flying horse like Pegasus."

Castle wiggled his eyebrows. "That would be some ride."

"What makes you think I'd let you ride me?" Beckett asked.

Castle pushed a loop of licorice between her lips. "I could just put a bit in your mouth and grab on."

"You do love putting things in my mouth," Beckett told him and bit down hard on the lace.

Castle winced.

"Okay," Beckett asked, "if you could transform like Zan into any liquid or anything made out of liquid, what would you be?"

Castle thought about it. "I think I'd like to be a waterfall. I could flow over you. I could also be a cheap source of clean power."

"Mmmm," Beckett considered. "I like the environmental angle, but with all that cold water flowing over me, I might get chilled."

"Not cold water," Castle replied. "I'd come from a warm spring. You'd be cozy, like this," he said wrapping his arms around her.

Beckett snuggled in. "That could work." Beckett threaded the end of a red lace into Castle's mouth and put the other end end her mouth. They ate their way towards each other until their lips met in a burst of red sweetness.

"Mmmm," Castle murmured, combing his fingers through Beckett's hair as he pulled her beneath him on the couch.

The door to the loft opened and Martha coughed loudly. Castle jerked upright. "Mother as always, your timing is perfect."

"Sorry, darlings," Martha greeted the frustrated couple. "I was just announcing my presence. I thought you might be lonely, Richard, with Alexis gone. Clearly that isn't the case tonight, but I just wanted to let you know that I'll always be here for you. You won't ever be lonely."

Crushing the candy box in his hand, Castle pasted a smile on his face. "Mother, it's so nice to know that you'll always be here, rent free."

Martha ignored the last part of his remark and swept to the stairs with a flourish. "Carry on."

Castle ran a hand through his hair. "Cheer up, Castle," Beckett said, "she could meet another guy like Chet and decide to move out again."

"I don't think I'm that lucky," Castle replied pessimistically.

"I don't know, Castle, I was lucky with the video, you were lucky with the laces, you could get lucky again tonight. Somehow I don't think Martha is going to bother us again. She did tell us to carry on."

This time it was Beckett extending a hand. "You wouldn't want to disobey your mother. Shall we?"

Castle engulfed her fingers in his large hand. "Please."

Still slightly paranoid, Castle locked the door of his office and, after kicking it shut, the door to his bedroom. Beckett hit the bed with bounce. Castle happily noted the come hither smile on her face. He didn't need further invitation.

The taste and smell of candy lingered, bringing a special sweetness to their joining, but Castle couldn't get enough of the earthy flavor that was uniquely Beckett. Clothes found their way to the floor as they feasted on each other, a meal that only made them hunger for more. Need: to touch, to feel, to savor, caught them in its wake, flinging them together. They clung to each other even as rising urgency moved them. The end washed over them like Castle's warm waterfall, full of energy, yet soothing and enfolding.

Castle held Beckett in his arms, stroking her still heated skin. "What are you thinking?" she asked drowsily.

Castle kissed her hair and tucked her head under his chin. "Just that when we touch each other, Wonder Twin powers really do activate.

A/N A few minutes ago Nathan was tweeting, asking what we were doing today to make the world a better place. I'm sure a lot of us had pretty good answers, but just to make sure, here is your daily reminder of his Charity Water project. Also with its work for Operation Smile, as well as the fun it brings to so many of us, Nerd HQ makes the world a better place. Tweet me CheerfulChemist if you need URLs.


	30. Chapter 30

Moment in Time

Secret Santa

After the sweetest of kisses, Castle and Beckett stood forehead to forehead in front of the fifteen foot fir. The train whistled and the lights gleamed. The loft was awash in light and savory smells rose from the dinner table. "I didn't get you anything," Castle told Beckett.

"What?" she asked.

"You said not to."

"Castle, I know, but you never do what I tell you to. What did you get me?"

"Really, Beckett, nothing. This time I followed instructions."

"He had to do that now," Beckett muttered under her breath.

"Come," Castle said. "Join us for dinner."

Alexis had already rushed to set another place. The table was spectacular, with a perfectly browned turkey and Martha's special glug. "Martha, did you cook the turkey?" Beckett asked. "It looks beautiful."

Castle gave a little snort. "Actually," Martha explained, "I have an old - friend, who is a marvelous chef. He did everything but the glug."

"Thank God." Castle murmured almost imperceptibly.

"What was that, Richard?" Martha asked.

"Nothing, Mother," Castle answered downing a substantial sip of glug."

Castle picked up a ready knife and made a show of using the sharpening steel. His carving was perfect, with thin, even slices. "Castle, how did you learn how to do that?" Beckett asked.

"You should know, Beckett. You've read all my books. You remember that murderous chef? He was actually Mother's - friend. He taught me some knife skills."

Beckett smiled. "Good to know."

"You want some brandy?" Castle asked Beckett as she finished the last sliver of spicy pumpkin pie. "We can have it in front of the fire while we open presents."

Beckett agreed, thinking it would give her something to do while everyone else unwrapped their treasures. Martha's eyes danced at animal prints Castle had bought with Alexis' careful coaching. Alexis enjoyed a pair of butter-soft, high heeled boots and Castle received a boxed set of newly remastered Star Wars movies. When all the Castle family gifts had been removed from beneath the tree, one box remained. "What is that?" Castle asked. "Maybe the detective should have a look," he suggested, handing it to Beckett.

The box was heavy in Beckett's hands. She carefully untied the green ribbon that sparkled against the shiny gold box and pulled out a delicately carved jade elephant. Smiling, she shook her head at Castle. "I knew you couldn't follow simple instructions. Actually I have something for you too." Beckett retrieved a small box from her purse and handed it to Castle.

"Wow!" exclaimed as he pulled out what rested on the cotton inside. "An original communicator! Where did you get this?"

"You're not the only one who knows people, Castle," Beckett informed him smugly.

"Wow!" Castle repeated, pulling her in for a kiss. Alexis suddenly had something she desperately needed to show Martha upstairs, and Castle and Beckett were left, bathed in the glow of the twinkling lights. Castle tugged Beckett hard against his hips. As the kiss deepened, a flare erupted, hot enough to singe the elegant fir. Legs barely able to support him, Castle was forced to separate his lips from Kate's. "Beckett?" he asked, inclining his head toward the bedroom. Kate nodded and they walked hand in hand away from the tree, as Cookie Angel smiled.

* * *

Kate's eyes opened to see Castle staring down at her with a cup of hot chocolate in his hand. He stirred it with a cinnamon stick and handed it to her. "We're opening stockings," he explained.

"Well you are go ahead, Castle," Beckett told him. "I don't have one."

"Beckett! Santa knew you were here. He knows where everybody is. Of course you have a stocking! Here," he said taking his robe from a chair and handing it to her. "Join us."

Beckett snuggled into the thick terrycloth imbued with the spicy scent of Castle and followed him to the living room. Martha and Alexis were standing in front of the fireplace, waiting. Castle took down a stocking so huge, it reached to the floor. "Youngest first," he said, handing it to Alexis. Alexis emptied the contents, finding a new hat, scarf and gloves, a variety of delicacies which could be easily stored in her dorm room, and a pair of small pearl stud earrings. "Hmmm," Castle said, examining the jewelry, "Santa has good taste."

Alexis grinned and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, Dad."

"Oldest next," Castle announced.

"Watch it, Buster," Martha warned as he handed her a stocking in the shape of a high fashion boot. Martha exclaimed over a selection of spa certificates.

"That's a gift for us," Castle whispered in Beckett's ear. "She'll be gone for half a dozen weekends." Castle took down the two remaining stockings, a space cowboy boot and a SWAT style police boot. "We can open these together."

Castle grinned as he found that his boot was full of robots, dinosaurs, and toy space ships. "We'll have to stage a battle," he said. "Come on Beckett, what have you got?"

"Oh," Beckett breathed. An emerald pendant in the shape of a Christmas tree threw off flashes of green from where she had dumped the contents of the police boot on the table.

"Santa must think you've been a very good girl," Castle said.

Beckett rubbed her fingers over the precious stones. "I think Santa went a little overboard."

Castle shook his head. "No it's a Christmas thing. Santa has a job for you and you'll need it to go with your outfit."

"Castle, what outfit?" Beckett asked suspiciously.

"Come on," Castle told her. "I'll show you."

Castle led Beckett to the bedroom closet, where he pulled out a saucy lady elf costume. He also pulled out a costume that would make him one of the larger elves on record. "I'm handing out presents at the community center as one of Santa's helpers. I do it every year. I'd like it if you'd do it with me this year."

"Castle, I had no idea. That's sweet. Of course I'll go with you, but I don't know about that necklace on an elf. If they know it's real, it might make some people feel uncomfortable."

"What makes you think it's real?" Castle asked, receiving of Beckett's famous looks.

"Kidding!" Castle told her, "and you're probably right. But you can wear it for this elf when we get back."

Beckett stood on her bare toes to put her arms around Castle's neck and smiled as their lips met. "Deal."

A/N I just couldn't believe Castle wouldn't buy Beckett a present. He does so like giving her things. Here is your reminder for Charity Water. It's only four days to Nathan's birthday. Also remember Nerd HQ. Tweet me CheerfulChemist if you need URL's.


	31. Chapter 31

Moment in Time

An Embarrassment of Bitches

Beckett and Castle watched Lolita and Royal playing with each other.

"Well, you know, I mean, he would have been lonely at my place," Beckett said, looking at the dogs longingly. "There's nobody to play with."

"Yeah, mine too," Castle agreed with a sigh. "They do seem to enjoy each other. Just the same, my loft seems kind of empty without Royal."

"My apartment too," Beckett commiserated.

"Beckett," Castle proposed, "how about a play date?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about, Castle?"

"Well the case is finished and you're off tomorrow, right?" Castle asked.

"Yeah."

"So why don't we schedule a day to play, you and me?"

"Castle, just what kind of play did you have in mind?" Beckett asked suspiciously.

Castle smirked. "Detective Beckett! Your mind! I have top of the line laser tag, light sabers, all kinds of stuff."

Beckett smiled. "Of course you do, Castle."

"Come on Beckett, you can use a little fun."

Beckett felt the weight of her mother's death and the fear of her own, a dark mantle that never quite left her, no matter how hard she worked with Dr. Burke. She knew Castle was right. She needed the distraction. "All right, Castle," she agreed. "We have a play date."

When Beckett arrived at the loft, Castle was already decked out in full laser tag regalia. "I'm green," he explained, offering her matching gear. Alexis usually wears these, they're blue."

"Won't Alexis mind?" Beckett asked.

"Nah," Castle answered. "She's always been really good about sharing her toys. Actually she's been really good about almost everything."

"Where does she get that from?" Beckett teased.

"Beckett! I'm good - sometimes. Seriously, I have no idea. It must be some distant ancestor. You and I can't play the same characters that Alexis and I do, though, we need something new."

"Like what?" Beckett asked.

"How about Rebels and Alliance?" Castle proposed. "You're the authority figure, you can be the Alliance. I'm the one who goes rogue, I'll be a Rebel."

"Really, Castle? Ripping off Joss Whedon? You can be more original than that," Beckett chided.

"Okay, how about this?" Castle asked. "I'm a Jul from the jungle and you're a Mer from the sea, See, green and blue. We're fighting for dominance of the planet Julmer."

"How about Merjul?"

"Wow, you really do love to be first. All right, the planet Merjul," Castle agreed. "You have one minute to suit up."

Beckett was trained in tactical fighting but Castle knew the lay of the land. With years of experience, Castle knew everywhere in the loft to get the drop on an opponent. He was quickly in the lead. "Castle," Beckett protested. "You have the home court advantage."

"Someone is a bad loser, "Castle teased. "Okay, how about neutral territory?"

"Where?"

"The park?"

"You know the park too," Beckett pointed out. "You told me you took Alexis there every day."

"I wasn't playing laser tag. I was hitting on lonely single mothers." Castle argued, only to be fixed by a slit- eyed glare from Beckett. "Ooops, that didn't come out well. Anyway, I won't have any competitive edge at the park."

Castle and Beckett found the perfect cluster of trees. The growth was thick enough to afford cover but thin enough to provide the opportunity for a clear shot if a player got careless. Castle was a lot more careless than Beckett. By lunchtime, she had achieved a decisive victory. "You're buying!" she informed Castle with a grin."

"Beckett, it is not polite to gloat," Castle replied with feigned annoyance. "So, what are you hungry

for?"

"I'm gonna let you off easy, Castle. Hotdogs, but something interesting. Let's got to Crif Dogs."

The eclectic emporium featured a wide array of unusual condiments. Castle made a choice designed to get under Beckett's skin. "Cream cheese on your hotdog? Really Castle?" Beckett asked wrinkling her nose.

"And teriyaki and avocado is any less strange?" Castle retorted, before laughing. "This is fun, though. Good idea, Beckett. I chose laser tag. What do you want to do next?"

"Bowling," Beckett answered.

"You bowl?" Castle asked.

"Castle, I'm a cop. It's part of the job description. Do you?"

"Sometimes. One of the wild eyed lunatics mother had taking care of me when she was off on tour was into it. She taught me the basics. Also, we have a writers league. A bowling alley is a great place to pick up dialogue."

"Okay then," Beckett told him.

Beckett and Castle were actually very evenly matched. Castle was hooting loudly and right on the edge of beating her. "Castle," Beckett called, just as Castle aimed his ball for a final trip down the alley. Castle looked over his shoulder to see that Beckett had undone several buttons on her blouse. His ball rolled straight into the gutter.

"Beckett, that was not fair," Castle complained. "I enjoyed it, but it wasn't fair."

"Too bad, Castle. Now you owe me dinner."

"Probably worth it," Castle muttered to himself. "Okay, but this time, I get to pick," he told her. "WD-50."

"Castle, is that a restaurant or a lube shop?"

"Beckett, it is the epicenter of molecular gastronomy, the place where new techniques are invented and new equipment employed. Liquid nitrogen, hydro-colloids, it's all there."

Beckett sighed and shook her head, thinking that maybe she shouldn't have pulled the boob trick.

Beckett was happily surprised. She ordered squab with tomato hummus and pickled turnips and found it delightful. Castle gave a little shudder at the mention of squab. "I can't stand squab. I've spent too many years in New York watching pigeons," he told Beckett. He opted for black bass.

They both finished with a unique form of s'mores with bitter cocoa, meringue, and black currant. Beckett leaned back, closing her eyes. "This is heaven," she sighed.

"Just wait," Castle told her, silently fantasizing about waking up with Beckett. "Someday I'll make you one of my s'morelets, best breakfast ever."

Beckett pushed away a mental image she wasn't ready for, of greeting the morning from Castle's bed. "Don't hold your breath, Castle," she told him.

Castle's face fell, but he quickly recovered. "What do you want to do now?" he asked.

"Castle," Beckett said, "I've had a great time playing with you, but I have to get up to work tomorrow. I need to get home."

Castle delivered Beckett to her door. "Tomorrow, Detective?" he asked.

"Tomorrow," Beckett agreed.

In the comfort of her favorite purple sleep shirt, Beckett settled into bed. When her dreams came, Castle's face floated before her eyelids, to a soundtrack of the beeps and pings of laser tag.

A/N The restaurants are real. Here's your reminder of Charity Water. Only three days to Nathan's birthday. Also remember Nerd HQ and Kids Need to Read, the charity Nathan co-founded. If you get money for KNTR through Amazon, they may throw in an extra five bucks for the next few days. Tweet me CheerfulChemist if you need URL's.


	32. Chapter 32

Moment in Time

Dreamworld

"Sir," Richmond said, "It looks like Bronson and the reporter are connected, as Mr. Castle suggested. Bronson's phone records show calls to and from the Washington Union around the time the article was written."

"Bronson must have been the source of the article," McCord surmised.

"Go! Find out what he knows." Vilante ordered Beckett and McCord.

Beckett needed no urging. Castle attempted to follow her, but Vilante called him back. "Ah, Mr. Castle, you can assist us, but only from inside this building."

"Right," Castle agreed, waving a regretful goodbye to Beckett.

Castle sat at the table in the conference room, his head in his hands. The wave of farewell could very have been the last time he and Beckett would ever see each other. Breathing was already more difficult. He pulled out his phone, writing draft texts he could send with a touch of a button, if the end approached.

"Dear Mother,

Thank you for being there for me. I know how difficult it was for you at times to have a career and raise me without a father. I know I didn't make it any easier for you, scaring away so many nannies and getting kicked out of almost every school you tried to put me in, but you persisted. No matter what your financial condition you tried to make things special for me. I don't imagine there was another kid whose mother put on the Nutcracker every Christmas. I complain about having you in the loft, but the truth is you are my rock. You've been there for me whenever my world fell apart. You helped me through Kate's shooting and her silence afterward. You supported me as I kept the secret of Mr. Smith. You were my shoulder to cry on when I found out that Kate lied about not remembering hearing me profess my love for her. Most of all, you helped me to know that I had to propose to Kate. While I saw through a haze of what I wanted things to be, you saw things as they are. For that, I am profoundly grateful. If this is my last day, I will die knowing that the woman I love, loves me, and that makes it all easier.

I know that Alexis thinks she is all grown up. Didn't we all at nineteen? But we both know that she isn't. I don't even want to think about Pi, but whatever else comes her way, whatever trials she has, I pray you'll be there for her as you have been for me. I know that your love is unwavering for both of us, as is mine for you.

Richard

Dear Alexis,

The thought of not being there for you tears my heart to shreds. I want to see you graduate from college. I want to walk you down the aisle. I want to see little red haired grandchildren. But if that is not possible, I need you to know that my love for you has always been a constant, no matter what happened. From the moment you were put in my arms, you have been the center of my life. I never even minded changing diapers or having spit-up on my shoulder. Everything you did was beautiful to me, even snoring and drooling in your sleep. Even if you had not been the best student, even if you had not made it into a single college, it would have made no difference to me. You are my daughter, a pearl beyond price. So if I don't make it home to you, I want you to be happy, even if that means Pi. Since working with the police, I have been careful to make sure that you would be provided for if anything happened to me, but money is not happiness. I've learned that the hard way. Happiness comes from love. Gram will be there for you and I know she loves you as deeply as I do. I am endlessly grateful for that. But happiness is not just about receiving love, even more, it is about giving it. You are a deeply loving person. No matter what life may throw your way, loving someone will make anything bearable. Never stop giving your heart, even if it means it may be broken. I love you with all of mine.

Dad

Dear Kate,

I don't even know where to begin. From the moment you flashed your badge at me at my book party, I was yours. I shamelessly used my contacts to follow you around and the more I did, the more I loved you. You are like no other woman I've known. You don't fall for my tricks. You see through every artifice to whom I really am. That has been challenging, infuriating, and scary at times, but wonderful. You really know me, and somehow you love me anyway. I have always been afraid to show the world my real face, afraid I wasn't good enough or smart enough to be whom I wanted people to believe I am. I put on a show, and most of the world buys it, but not you. You know what is in my mind and what is in my heart. You always know when I'm being less than truthful, even when I wish you didn't. I am more in sync with you than with anyone else in the world, even my mother or Alexis. I want to be with you forever. I want to you to have my children, if that's what you want to do. I want to inhale the scent of cherries from your hair, even when it's streaked with gray. I want us to watch the world change together. Whether it is cars that fly or colonies on Mars, I want to witness those things with you in my arms. More than anything, I want to solve the mysteries that haunt you. I want to see Bracken fall. I want to see the fear that I know still lingers at the corners of your mind, banished. I fervently hope that even if I'm not there to help you do it, it will be done. Kate, I love you so much, it overwhelms me. Whatever happens, please be happy. You are so remarkable, I know you can do great things, but don't lose yourself. You are capable of great joy. Find that joy, somehow, somewhere, with someone. You deserve it.

Always,

Rick"

Castle tucked his phone into his pocket and waited for Beckett to return.

A/N Two days to Nathan's Birthday. Remember Charity Water, Nerd HQ and Kids Need to Read. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist if you need URL's.


	33. Chapter 33

Moment in Time

Need to Know

"What is that?" Beckett asked.

"It's a key, to our D.C. Apartment," Castle replied. "I mean the truth is, I can - I can write anywhere, so I found a place with a little home office." Castle searched Beckett's face for her reaction. "Listen, if you don't like it when you see it, we can always..."

"No, I don't need to see it. I love this!" Beckett exclaimed, grabbing the key from Castle's hand and lunging forward for a kiss. As they smiled into each others' eyes, the buzzing of the doorbell rudely interrupted.

"Hold that thought," Castle told Beckett. "I bought Mother, Alexis, and Pi an overnight yoga retreat. They should not be home until morning."

Castle opened the door to see Agent Rachel McCord standing on the threshold.

"Hey," McCord called from the doorway.

"Hey," Beckett answered. "I thought our flight was at eight in the morning."

"It is," McCord confirmed. "They know that it was you that tipped off the press."

Castle could see the look of dismay on Beckett's face.

"A part of me really admires the choice you made," McCord continued, "maybe because I'd like to think there was a time when I would have done it. But," she added as gently as she could, "the people we answer to don't feel that way."

Beckett swallowed nervously. "Rachel, I..."

"Kate," McCord continued, you're one of the best agents I've ever worked with, but I'm here to tell you you're fired."

Castle closed the door behind agent McCord as Beckett stood in shocked silence. "Castle," Beckett whispered in disbelief."

Castle wrapped strong arms around Kate's stiffened body, stroking, then kissing her hair. "It's going to be all right," he murmured. "We'll work it out."

Slowly Kate relaxed into the warmth of Castle's body as he held her, silently gathering comfort from his closeness. Finally she looked up with a wry smile. "I hope you can get your money back on that apartment."

"Don't worry about it," Castle told her. "I can see about it when we get your stuff out of that hole you were living in, in D.C.. I don't think you ever had time to unpack half of it anyway."

Kate nodded her head. "I didn't. But before we think about D.C., I should probably see if I can get my job back with N.Y.P.D.."

"Kate," Castle said, gently caressing her cheek, "We have the place to ourselves. You can't do anything about a job tonight, so why don't we just make the best of the situation?"

Kate looked into the irresistibly hopeful puppy dog eyes and couldn't bring herself to say no. She wove her fingers through Castle's and inclined her head toward the bedroom. "Let's."

Castle plunged his fingers into Kate's hair as his hand supported her neck. Her muscles were rock hard under his palm. "Wow, you're still tense!" he exclaimed. "What can I do? You want some more wine? A massage?"

"Maybe both," Beckett replied, rotating her head stiffly.

"Just wait there," Castle told her. He refilled the wine glasses they had left in the living room and brought them back to the bedroom. Castle handed Beckett her glass while setting his on a bedside table. "Just lean against me," he told Beckett, while gently rubbing her neck and shoulders.

Beckett sipped her wine as she felt his hands on her skin. Slowly thoughts of the FBI and the NYPD began to recede, as a pleasant muzziness filled her brain. Her eyes drifted shut as her head came to rest against Castle's broad chest. Castle took the glass from her hand, placing it beside his own and eased her softly down, her head and shoulders cradled by a pile of pillows.

"Kate," Castle murmured.

There was no answer. Frustrated, but with understanding, Castle looked lovingly at the woman in his bed and cuddled close to her for the night.

The first rays of the sun were penetrating the windows of the loft when Castle opened his eyes. Kate was staring at the ceiling. "How are you?" he asked.

"Better," she answered.

"Ready to face Captain Gates?" Castle asked.

"I might need some more therapy first," Kate answered saucily. "How long do you think we have before the loft gets crowded again?"

Castle consulted his watch. "At least a couple of hours. What kind of therapy did you nee...? Oooh!" Castle exclaimed as Kate straddled him.

"Definitely the physical kind," she replied.

Beckett's lips still carried the earthy tang of wine as they met Castle's but she was more intoxicating than any alcohol. As the sun rose, so did their excitement, tender warmth becoming fervent heat. Last night's clothing was pushed or ripped aside as a Kate and Castle sought more of each other. Leftover wine sloshed in the glasses still at bedside as the zenith was reached, until boneless, they lay side by side, hands entwined.

* * *

Beckett sat nervously in Gates' office. "You know I'd love to have you back," Gates told her. "The closure rate for the precinct has dropped in your absence. You are the best and there's no question about it. If the FBI can't understand that, they're fools. The problem is, the Commissioner has instituted a hiring freeze. I can't hire anyone. So we're both stuck. I'm really very sorry."

Castle, shooting the breeze with Ryan and Esposito while he waited for Beckett, was ready to announce drinks on the house at the Old Haunt until he caught sight of Beckett's face. He stood up with a questioning look and she just motioned toward the elevator. They rode in silence. Castle knew Beckett well enough to know that she wouldn't talk to him until she was ready. He hailed a cab and as they rode back to the loft, he just offered her his hand.

As the door closed behind them in the loft, Beckett suddenly rushed into Castle's arms. "What happened?" he asked with a sense of deja vu.

"Hiring freeze," Beckett answered simply. "Castle, I don't know what to do. If I'm not a cop, I don't know who I am."

"You," Castle told her, "are the remarkable woman you have always been, the woman I'm desperately in love with. So whatever happens, whatever you decide, we _will _figure it out, together."

"Ooops!" came Pi's voice from upstairs, followed by a loud crash. Castle and Beckett looked at each other. "How about a trip to take care of business in D.C.?" Castle proposed.

Beckett rolled her eyes and nodded.

A/N There will be a part 2 for the trip to D.C.. One more day until Nathan's birthday, so here is your reminder for Charity Water. Also remember Nerd HQ and Kids Need to Read. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist if you need URL's.


	34. Chapter 34

Moment in Time

Need to Know Part 2

Beckett sipped her wine in the Cafe Car. "Taking the train was a good idea, Castle," she said.

"I know, right?" Castle agreed. "We got to go straight out of Penn Station instead of driving to the airport, no TSA, and we've even got Wi Fi."

Beckett took Castle's phone out of his hand, pulled him up to stand and tucked it in his pants pocket, letting her hand linger for a moment. "The Wi Fi, I think we can do without.

"Okay," Castle said. "We haven't talked about what we're doing when we get to D.C., besides giving up the apartment I found and cleaning out yours."

"Isn't that enough?" Beckett asked.

"Beckett, in the months you were down there, except for the occasional tryst with me, did you do anything but work? Did you see the monuments, the museums, anything?"

"Castle, you know I didn't have time for any of that," Beckett answered.

"Well as unhappy as you might be about the reason, you do now. Why not take some of it to enjoy the city?"

Beckett framed his face in her hands to give him as much of a kiss as she could in so public a place. "Okay."

* * *

Castle turned the key in the lock. "This is it," he said.

Beckett looked around the apartment Castle had picked out for them. "Castle, I didn't realize it was furnished. This is beautiful."

"I think the designer put it together with visiting dignitaries in mind. The agent has someone who wants it in two weeks, so I'm going to get most of my deposit back, but I have it until then. Do you want to stay here while we're in D.C.? We'd have more privacy than in a hotel."

Beckett looked at the wide windows and the deep comfortable furniture. Through a doorway she could see an oversized bed. There was also a small but well appointed kitchen. "Yeah Castle," she teased. "It'll be tough, but I think I can rough it."

"The truck is set to arrive at your apartment in," Castle consulted his watch, "about four fours. We should probably get over there now. We can pick up some food and some wine and come back here later."

"Deal," Beckett agreed.

* * *

Beckett carefully taped bubble wrap around the framed photo of herself and Castle that Alexis had taken before Beckett left for D.C.. It was one of the few personal items she had in the apartment she had occupied in her brief tenure with the Attorney General's office. She had books and papers and of course, computer equipment, but there was no Beckett stamp on the quarters. As much as she hated getting fired, she would not miss this place. Her things, except for the few that she wanted to keep at Castle's loft, would go back to the apartment she still owned in New York. She had never had time to arrange for its sale, something for which, she was now extremely grateful. When she and Castle firmed up their wedding plans, sale of that apartment was something she would finally have to address. That was a much more wrenching thought than saying goodbye to her generic D.C. dwelling.

The two men who came with the pod truck were quick and efficient. In two hours, they had all her boxes loaded for the trek to New York. Her pod would be in short term storage until she requested the delivery of her things. She had set aside a couple of suitcases to take to Castle's find. They were all that remained to evidence her time as an agent in D.C. She stared after the truck as it drove away.

Castle wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Ready to go?" he asked. Beckett nodded and they climbed into their fully tricked out rental car, with Castle driving.

"You want to take the scenic route?" Castle asked.

"Sure, why not?" Beckett agreed.

Castle took the George Washington Memorial Parkway along the Potomac River, where there were beautiful views of wildlife preserves. It was not what Beckett had been expecting, but it was both peaceful and energizing. By the time they made it to Trader Joe's for food and wine, she was starved. They were able to pick up a number of quickly prepared gourmet treats to bring back to the apartment and she munched on tortilla chips and salsa on the way.

* * *

Beckett and Castle stretched out together on the rich leather couch, sharing red wine and chocolate Kona coffee truffles, while Nebula Nine dvds Castle had managed to stow in Beckett's suitcases, played on the wide screen TV. "Beckett," Castle asked, "whatever happened to your Lieutenant Chloe costume?"

"It's at my apartment in New York, Castle, why?"

"Just fantasizing. I bet you looked better than Stephanie Frye ever did. You definitely have better legs."

"Thank you Castle." Beckett put down her wine and turned so that her face was inches from his. "You know Castle, I don't need a costume for you to see my legs. In fact, you can probably see them a lot better without one."

"So maybe, after this episode, we can find out?" Castle proposed hopefully.

Beckett hit the power button on the remote control. "We can finish watching it later."

* * *

Castle and Beckett pored over a visitors' guide to D.C. over morning coffee and croissants. "So we've got the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, The MLK statue, what else?" Castle asked.

"Castle, I saw what you were looking at so longingly," Beckett told him.

"The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum," Castle admitted. "But Beckett, this trip is for you. What do _you_ want to do?"

"Castle, I would love to go to the Space Museum with you - just don't ask me to get married there."

"Agreed."

Beckett watched Castle gazing in wonder at the "Apollo to the Moon" exhibit. Sometimes she forgot his capacity for pure childlike joy, and how it brought out the joy in her. She held his hand and leaned into his shoulder, letting it suffuse her.

Too soon their time in D.C. was over. Castle had meetings with his publisher back in New York and Beckett wanted to look at career possibilities. Beckett gave a longing last look to the D.C., before Castle handed over the apartment key.

Beckett gazed pensively out the window of the train as they returned to New York. "Are you okay?" Castle asked.

"I don't know, Castle. I'm no closer to an answer about my future than I was a few days ago and knowing everything from D.C. Is gone, just makes that more real, and more frightening."

"Kate, I can't know what you'll be doing. Oooh! Maybe you and I can open an office as PI's."

Beckett rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Castle responded, way out of proportion to the hurt. He captured the hand she hit him with between his two larger ones. "Okay, we won't be PI's, or at least I won't, but I know this. Whatever you do, you're going to be extraordinary."

Beckett pulled lose from Castle's grasp and used both hands to capture his face. Her lips met his deeply and fully and she didn't give a damn if the whole train was watching.

A/N Okay, we've arrived at Nathan's birthday, although the Charity Water campaign still goes on for four more days. Also remember Nerd HQ and Kids Need to Read. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist for URL's.


	35. Chapter 35

Moment in Time

Number One Fan

"Hey everybody," Ryan yelled, "listen up! Beckett is back!"

"And tonight," Castle added, "at the Old Haunt, drinks are on the house. Congratulations," Castle told Beckett, amidst the cheering from the 12th.

"Thank you," Beckett said as Castle started to pull her in for a kiss. "Whoa!" Castle exclaimed pulling back. "Actually, no. We can't. Not here, it's inappropriate. This is the workplace. We've got to be professional."

Beckett smiled. "Ah well, you know I'm not officially back until tomorrow."

"I see," Castle said, resuming the kiss, despite his discomfort from the pressure on his chest.

As Castle and Beckett entered the Old Haunt hand in hand, Beckett found his grip to be considerably tighter than usual. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Castle assured her. "I'm still just uncomfortable from where the bullet hit, you know?"

Beckett nodded. "We'll get you a drink. You'll feel better."

Beckett sipped a beer as she watched Castle quickly down a scotch. "I'll be right back," she told him, going to speak to Brian, the bartender. "Why don't we go downstairs," she suggested coming back with some ice wrapped in a towel. Castle followed her through the trap door to the basement office. "Sit!" she ordered, pointing to the chair behind the desk, and began to unbutton his shirt. "Wow!" she exclaimed at the ugly splotch of red and purple.

"I told you it was going to leave a mark," Castle joked.

Beckett sat on the desk, holding the compress to the bruise. "Thank you," Castle told her.

"Thank you! If you hadn't insisted that Emma was being framed, we never would have found out about Aaron Stokes and I wouldn't have my job back." Beckett leaned down for a kiss. Castle returned it, but without the usual heat. Beckett looked down at him. "I think we should get you checked out."

"Beckett no! This is your night. I'm not going to spoil it."

"It's also your night, but how about if I get Lanie? I saw her join Javi upstairs."

"Okay," Castle agreed.

"Lanie, Javi's going to be jealous," Castle teased as Lanie felt his chest.

Lanie gave him a look that silenced him immediately. "I don't feel any movement in the bone, and there's nothing sticking up, she reported. There's usually kind of a crunch sound if the bone is broken, and I don't hear that either, so it's probably just a bad bruise. Girlfriend, walk me back to the party. Listen," Lanie told Beckett on the way upstairs, "he's probably fine, but with blunt force trauma to the chest things can happen."

"No kidding," Beckett remarked dryly.

"Just watch him tonight," Lanie continued, ignoring her friend. "If he has trouble breathing, or anything seems off, you take him to the hospital and make them give him a CT scan and an EKG. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear."

"Okay, I've got a drink to finish. You go keep an eye on Castle, and try to keep him as still as possible."

"So, were you girls telling secrets?" Castle asked when Beckett returned.

"Yeah, I was telling Lanie what an idiot you are for getting shot. You ready to go back upstairs or you want some more ice?"

"I'm fine," Castle told her.

Castle occupied his favorite booth with another scotch and Beckett, who slowly sipped what looked like a cocktail, but was actually a coke that Brian had decorated with cherries. "Don't you want to circulate, celebrate a little?" Castle asked.

"I'm happy celebrating with you," Beckett answered. "Actually, I think I'd like to go back to my place. You want to join me?"

"No Mother? No _Pi_? You don't have to ask me twice."

"Castle, why don't you just put your feet up and relax?" Beckett suggested, closing the door of her apartment behind them.

"Kate, what's going on?" Castle asked.

"Nothing."

"Kate, that's not a nothing face. Did Lanie say something?"

"She said you'd probably be fine."

"But?"

"I'm supposed to keep you still and watch you."

"Well, that's something different. Usually I'm the one watching you. So why didn't you just say so?"

"I didn't want to spoil the night, either."

"Come here," Castle told her, pulling her close. "You couldn't spoil a night for me if you tried. Ryan, Esposito, Captain Gates, maybe, but not you. So being still while you're watching me, can I do that in the shower?"

"I guess," Beckett replied, running her fingertips over the edge of his collar, "but if I'm going to watch you, I need to come with you."

"Sounds good to me," Castle told her, stroking her cheek.

Beckett's shower was smaller than Castle's and considerably more crowded, but neither of them minded. As the water streamed over them, Beckett couldn't stop staring at Castle's bruise."

"Beckett, are you fascinated by my manly chest?" Castle teased.

"You know how much I like purple, Castle," Beckett answered, feathering the lightest of kisses on the hurt.

"Mmm," Castle sighed. "That feels good."

"Then how's this?" Beckett asked, lightly brushing his lips with hers."

"Better yet," Castle told her, leaning down to return the kiss.

Beckett placed her fingertips over his mouth. "You're supposed to be still, let me."

Kate soaped a wash cloth and ran it gently over his body, rinsing him with the spray attachment, then drank the water from his damp skin.

"Kate, there is no way I'm going to be still with you doing that," Castle protested.

"Shut up, Castle" Kate told him wrapping a towel around his body, another one around hers, and leading him to the bed. "Now you let me do the work." The towels fell away as Kate loved him with gentle touch, until they could join together. Still wet, she moved easily, bringing him with her to scale the peak of arousal, until topping the summit, they plunged to earth together. Kate lay in the curve of Castle's arm, listening to his breathing and the strong beat of his heart. "Castle, I think you're going to be fine," Kate told him.

Castle drew her tightly against his body, stroking her still wet hair. "Kate, I've never been better."

A/N I bet you thought I was going to put Castle in the hospital. Psych! Not this time. After Pi and company, he really needed a good Font. But really, Castle got hit dead center in the chest hard enough to knock him down and out. At the very least, after the adrenaline receded, that would hurt a lot. Nathan's Charity Water is over $200K, but there are still days to go and more kids to save. (Also more chances to win lunch with Nathan.) Also remember Nerd HQ and Kids Need to Read. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist for URLs.


	36. Chapter 36

Moment in Time

Lives of Others

"You know, what you did for me, nobody's ever done that for me before. That was - epic. But," Castle said, pulling Beckett onto his lap, "you do know that now I will have to get you back."

"Oh really?" Beckett asked. "You think you can top that?"

"Oh," Castle laughed as he wheeled them off to the bedroom, "just wait and see."

Beckett got off the elevator at the 12th to questioning looks from the bullpen. She could see Castle sitting in her chair at her desk and hurried to roust him back to his own seat. "Can I help you?" Castle asked as she approached.

"Castle, get out of my chair," Beckett ordered.

Castle looked up in puzzlement. "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

"Castle quit fooling around and get away from my desk."

"This is my desk," Castle informed her, pointing to a nameplate with "Detective Castle" on it. "Again, who are you?'

"Okay Castle, this is not funny. Hey Espo!" Beckett called across the room to Esposito.

Esposito turned to Beckett. "Excuse me," he said, lifting an eyebrow.

"Javi, tell this idiot who I am," Beckett told him, indicating Castle.

"I'm sorry," Esposito told her, "I don't know you."

"Ryan," Beckett called exasperatedly, "can we have some sanity here?"

Ryan and Esposito exchanged looks. "Ma'am," Ryan told her, "I think you must be confused."

"Okay guys, enough. You've had your joke," Beckett told them, "now can we get back to the real world."

"I'm sorry, but we don't know what you're talking about," Ryan told her. "Maybe you could start by telling us your name."

"Beckett, Detective Kate Beckett!" Beckett screamed in frustration.

A pencil Castle had been fiddling with broke in his hand and he rose from his chair. "Easy man," Esposito cautioned.

Castle's eyes burned with an angry blue fire. "Kate Beckett was my partner and she's dead! She took a bullet to the heart two years ago. I don't know who you are, but you're not Kate Beckett!"

Beckett looked at the stares trained on her from around the bullpen and knocked on the door of Captain Gates' office. "Come in," a female voice called.

Beckett entered to be greeted by a face that was definitely not Victoria Gates. "Karpowski?" Beckett asked.

"I'm Lieutenant Karpowski," the woman answered. "Can I help you?"

"Karpowski, you know me, right?" Beckett asked.

The lieutenant shook her head, "I'm sorry I don't."

Beckett ran from the office back to Castle's desk. "So you got everyone in on it," she told him. "I'll talk to you later!"

The key to Beckett's apartment stuck in the lock, as if from long disuse. When it finally clicked, her eyes widened in shock as she pushed the door open. The furniture was draped with sheets. A layer of dust lay over everything. The light switch didn't work and the only source of illumination was whatever sunlight found its way through the windows. The refrigerator had been turned off and was propped open. "How did he do this?" she asked out loud to an empty room.

Beckett walked the twenty blocks to the loft, hoping both to clear her head and plot her revenge. She was stopped by the doorman, asking whom she was there to see. "Oh no, not you too, she said brushing by him to take the elevator. When she got to Castle's floor, she found that her key didn't fit. She sat on the stairs, trying to figure out what to do. The doorman arrived, accompanied by two uniformed officers. She allowed them to take her to the 12th, hoping that it would be the end of the joke. It wasn't.

Beckett sat in the interrogation lounge opposite Dr. Holloway. "You claim to be Kate Beckett?" he asked.

"I am am Kate Beckett," she insisted.

"I'm sorry," Holloway told her. "I knew Kate Beckett. I was at her funeral. You aren't her. I'd like to help you figure out who you are. The police said you have no I.D.."

"I, no," Beckett told him. "I did, I don't know what happened to it. Maybe it was stolen out of my purse."

"But you still had your money and keys?" Holloway asked.

"Yes," Beckett agreed.

"Why would someone take your I.D. And not take your money?"

"I don't know!" Beckett screamed. "Why don't you get Castle in here? I'm sure he engineered this whole thing. He said he'd get me back and he has."

"Get you back for what?" Holloway asked.

"The trick I pulled for his birthday, the phony murder."

"When was that?"

"April first."

"Miss, I'm sorry, I don't know what to call you, Detective Castle's birthday is in December. I was at his last birthday party. On April first he was on vacation in Bora Bora. I saw the pictures."

The room tilted around Beckett. "We were supposed to have been in Bora Bora for his birthday, but he broke his knee skiing and we couldn't go. I don't know what's happening here, but I will!"

Beckett rushed out of the room to Castle's desk. "Tell me!" she demanded, grabbing his arms. "Tell me right now! How did you do this?"

Holloway followed Beckett, with Ryan and Esposito right behind him. "She's going to have to be restrained," Holloway told them. Beckett fought as they tried to put handcuffs on her, but in the end, the strength and mass of the other detectives overcame her. She was put in a holding cell to await transport to Bellevue for further evaluation. "Please somebody," Beckett called through the bars, "I need to talk to Castle. Please let me talk to Castle."

Castle walked into Beckett's cell. "You wanted to see me?" he asked, keeping his distance.

"Rick, please, get me out of here. You win. You got me. It's over."

Castle shook his head, his mobile face reflecting a mixture of sadness and anger. "I don't know who you are, or why you have this delusion," he told her. "In a way, you do remind me a little bit of Kate Beckett, maybe like an older sister. But Kate didn't have a sister. Maybe you're some kind of distant relative who read about Kate. She was a model for a character in my books."

"You're a cop and you wrote books?" Beckett asked.

"A few," Castle answered. "I'm certainly not the first cop to do it. Kate Beckett was the inspiration for Nikki Heat. I stopped writing the books after she died."

"Your Beckett," Kate whispered softly, "she was more than a partner."

"That," Castle told her, "is none of your business. This conversation is over." Castle left the cell, but looked back over his shoulder. "I hope they can help you at the hospital."

Hot tears ran down Beckett's face. She lay on the metal bench in the cell, knees drawn to her chest until slumber finally overtook her. "Castle," Kate cried out in her sleep.

Rick awkwardly pulled himself up against the backboard, his brace catching in the blankets. "Kate," he called, pushing her hair back from her temple. "It's me. Wake up!"

Kate's eyes opened slowly. She looked up at the concerned blue eyes. "Castle, you're here."

"Where else would I be with this?" he asked, pointing to his knee. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Beckett told him. "I just had a really weird dream. Everyone was telling me that I wasn't me, that I was dead."

"Well," Castle told her, with a lusty kiss, "clearly you're not dead. You taste way too good. Think you can go back to sleep now?" he asked, wrapping her in his arms."

"I think so," Kate told him, closing her eyes and snuggling back against his body.

"Well that's one scam I won't be able to use," Castle mused silently. He smiled to himself. "Maybe I can fake an alien abduction instead." With visions of little gray men dancing in his head, Castle closed his eyes.

A/N Still a few more days left to give to Charity Water and try to win lunch with Nathan.10,000 people already will be helped. So much can be done when the power of celebrity is used for good. Also remember Nerd HQ and Kids Need to Read. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist if you need URLs.


	37. Chapter 37

Moment in Time

A Murder Is Forever

Beckett's eyes were closed as Castle led her into the bedroom of the loft. "Castle, I swear," Beckett told him, "if you're bringing me face to face with Linus, I'm going to pull out my gun and shoot him."

"That will not be necessary," Castle replied.

"Okay," Beckett muttered.

"Okay," Castle repeated, "you can open your eyes."

"Seashells?" Beckett asked.

"Well not just seashells," Castle explained. "We collected those..."

"On our first walk in the Hamptons," Beckett finished.

Beckett's mind flashed back. She had thought she and Castle would be taking long romantic walks on her weekend with him in the Hamptons, but their plans had been sidetracked by a murder. When they returned a few weeks later, it was already well into fall. It was chilly enough that the beach was almost deserted, but she and Castle bundled up in hoodies, gazing out at the waves and filling their pockets with treasures. As they returned to the house, the cold wind off the ocean grew in force, stiffening their fingers and reddening their faces. Despite being held tightly against Castle's body on the walk back to the house, she was shivering.

Castle lit a fire in the living room and made hot chocolate while she crouched in front of the hearth, holding her hands up to the flames. When he returned, they cuddled on the couch, their hands warmed by ceramic mugs, and their faces reflecting the dancing light of the gas log. "Warmer?" Castle asked.

"Mmmm," Beckett answered, resting her head on his shoulder, "warmer by the minute. I think in a minute I'm going to have to start taking off clothes."

Castle grinned. "Don't let me stop you. In fact, I'd be happy to help," he said reaching down to pull the edge of her hoodie upward. Beckett had reached for his in turn, feeling the collection of shells stowed there. Their lips met in a collision of heat and chocolate. Beckett drank deeply, unable to get enough of the sweet darkness. Castle pulled her tightly against him, as he had done once before in almost exactly the same place. But this time there was no Ryan to call and there were no suspects to interview. There was only the two of them, the heat growing in their veins surpassing what flowed from the fire.

"Rick," Beckett whispered. "Let's go." Hands clasped, she led the way to the bedroom, where a fire was burning as well, although the candles were unlit, as light streamed through the windows. No words were necessary as they reached for each other. Fingers found buttons and ties, clothes heedlessly reaching the floor as the bed beckoned. Any remainder of the morning's chill was banished in frantic exploration. Each feverish touch brought the need for more. They were as one person, searching, feeling the way. Movement came in an ever quickening rhythm, until the drumbeat of sensation reached a crescendo, surging though their bodies and leaving them still, in breathless embrace.

Tiny streaks of red were just starting to color the sky outside when Beckett awoke, Rick breathing softly in sleep beside her. It had been hours since they drank hot chocolate and even longer since breakfast. Slipping out from beneath the covers, she pulled on Castle's shirt, burying her nose in the collar inhaling the scent that was uniquely his. Padding barefoot to the kitchen, she surveyed the contents of the refrigerator. It was almost empty. They had intended to go shopping that afternoon, but she considered the time better spent. Still, her stomach was rumbling. She made her way back to the bedroom.

Castle looked innocent in repose, almost like a little boy, with his hair in his face. Gently she touched his cheek. "Mmmm," he sighed, as his lashes lifted over the startling blue of his eyes. "Kate, what time is it?"

She consulted her father's watch, which had never left her wrist. "It's five thirty."

"Morning or afternoon?"

"Definitely afternoon."

Castle sat up bare chested, the covers falling to his hips. "Wow!" he exclaimed, "that was - amazing! How are you?"

"Starving," Beckett answered, "and somehow we missed shopping."

"Can't imagine how that happened," Castle teased. "Do you want to go out? We can pick some things up on the way back"

"Sounds good," Beckett agreed, pulling a dress out of the part of the closet Castle had cleared for her, "just hurry up."

* * *

Many of the weekender spots had closed for the summer, but Castle drove to a restaurant patronized by the year round residents, that specialized in seafood. The eatery bought whatever was caught that day, right from the local fisherman. That practice resulted in an ever changing but inerrantly fresh menu. Castle and Beckett both ordered spicy Cioppino, with thick crusty bread and hand tossed salads. Beckett especially loved the house dressing, a tangy wine vinaigrette that she had been trying to duplicate ever since. They finished with espressos and impossibly crisp cookies that had been dipped in dark chocolate.

They were satisfied and almost too lazy to go food shopping for the morning, but Castle insisted that he needed pancake makings, so they went to the market. When it came to stocking up, Castle was almost unstoppable. Not only did he get everything required for pancakes, but coffee beans, bacon, fruit, a variety of deli items, salad makings, snacks, and a roasting chicken. "We can put the chicken in to cook slowly while we - play," Castle explained with a crooked grin.

* * *

Sleep cycles altered by their long afternoon nap, Castle and Beckett were up past midnight, rising late as well. The weather had worsened during the night, with a nor'easter slamming sheets of water against the windows. After Castle's sumptuously fluffy pancakes pancakes, with a side of Beckett's crisp bacon, they stayed in. Castle stocked an incredible assortment of games, but Beckett opted for Texas holdem. They started playing for M & M's, but after Castle had stopped the game to put the chicken in the oven, they found they had both eaten most of their winnings, so they changed to strip. Beckett was glad that Castle had the foresight to pick a dinner with a long cooking time. The winds still howled down the beach as they relaxed in front of the fire with brandy, before finally retiring for another session of play.

The morning sun was bright, with a clarity in the air that so often follows a storm. Castle loaded the luggage into the car for a return to the city. Beckett noticed a box filled with objects carefully wrapped in newspaper, but was distracted by an unexpected pre-trip caress before she could ask Castle about it.

"That's what those were," she mused softly.

"What?" Castle asked.

"The box you brought back from the Hamptons, the weekend of the storm. It was the shells. I can't believe you kept them," Beckett said, fingering the display.

"Now I know it doesn't really go with the space," Castle explained, "but at least it won't be hungrily staring at you in the morning."

"You didn't have to do this," Beckett told him.

"No, I did. I finished reading Alice's book and there's a chapter in there that speaks to couples like us. See, we're both alphas, and it says we need to define our shared territory together," Castle explained gesturing at items around the room. "These pieces are all my stories, but the shells, those are ours."

Beckett threw herself into Castle's arms for a hug. "I like our story!" Beckett exclaimed.

"Yeah, me too," Castle agreed.

Suddenly Beckett heard the growl of a lion. "Oooh, that can't be good," Castle said, trying unsuccessfully to suppress a grin.

Beckett grabbed his hand, exposing his phone as the source of the sound. "Seriously?" she asked.

"Look," Castle replied, "if you're scared you can always sleep on my side of the bed tonight."

Beckett pushed Castle toward the bed. "Deal."

A/N Two days to go on the Charity Water Campaign, which means two days left to win lunch with Nathan. Also remember Kids Need to Read and Nerd HQ. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist for URLs. Thank you for all the reviews. They really keep me going.


	38. Chapter 38

Moment in Time

Time Will Tell

"Before yesterday I had never even met Ward," Doyle told the detectives and Castle.

"That's not entirely true," Ryan corrected. I went back through Ward's incarceration file. Before his trial he spent two weeks in a psychiatric ward being evaluated by the state. In the next room was a patient, a John Doe. I had them pull his photo," he said showing a picture that was clearly Doyle.

A triumphant grin spread over Beckett's face. "There's the connection."

Doyle shook his head emphatically. "No, no, that's ridiculous," he insisted, "because I have never, never, -oh, wow! That's really clever."

"What? What's clever?" Castle asked.

"That's me," Doyle said indicating the picture Ryan held. "But I haven't done it yet. Don't you see? Now that they know where Ward is and where's he going to be they'll send me back to make contact, find out who he's working for, if they're planning anything else. It's perfect." Castle smiled broadly while Beckett rubbed her temple as if a headache was coming on. Doyle checked his watch. "I don't have much time left," he said, beginning to walk away. "See you in twenty years."

"Is it just me," Castle asked "or does that make sense?"

"No, it's just you," Ryan told him as Castle spied the tracker Doyle had left behind.

"Oh! He forgot his little doohickey here. Hey!" Castle called, following after a rapidly retreating Doyle, "you forgot this."

Doyle turned around. "I really don't need it. The components get beat up in time jumps. They'll give me another one before they send me out again, but thanks. You can keep it if you really want to annoy Miss Sunshine."

"Listen, Doyle," Castle whispered conspiratorially. "Beckett may not have wanted to know what happens, but I do. What is all that crazy stuff we get into and what are the names of our kids going to be?"

"I don't think I'll have time to tell you much, Doyle answered, but we can see how far I get. Your kids will be Johanna, R.C., which stands for Roy Cosmo, and Martha. After Johanna is born, Beckett will decide she wants to go to law school. That's when you start writing serious literature, because you aren't following her around as a cop anymore. Beckett will become a victims' rights advocate and people will come to both of you with their problems because of your history. There will be this one guy, Merkle, who'll say he had new energy source. He'll say it came from alien technology, but it got taken from him by a shadowy government organization."

"Like SHIELD, only real?" Castle asked.

"Actually," Doyle told him, "SHIELD is real. Someday Phil Coulson will be known as one of the world's great heroes. But it's another organization. I don't know which one, but you and Beckett had some dealings with them before, with an Agent Westfield. Anyway Beckett thinks Merkle is nuts. She does that a lot, doesn't she?"

Castle nodded. "She's the ying to my yang. I believe in almost everything and she believes in almost nothing. We average out. It works."

"I don't know how you take it," Doyle commented, "but anyway, you believe Merkle and you start trying to track the agency down. When you get too close, they grab you and take you in for interrogation. Beckett goes after you when you go missing, but they grab her too. They realize that neither one of you knows anything, drug you and dump you in her car."

"That sounds eerily familiar," Castle said.

"Yeah, it seems to be their M.O.," Doyle agreed. "Well anyway, it really gets under Beckett's skin. She goes after the agency with the Freedom of Information Act and everything else she can think of. You help her by stirring up all your old Derrick Storm conspiracy fans. You get quite a little grass roots organization going. In the middle of all of that, Beckett gets pregnant again, with R.C.. She actually goes into labor with him when she's on a speaking tour. She never even makes it to the hospital. You deliver him. It makes quite a splash in the papers, that's how I remember it.

Anyway despite the organization, you guys don't make much headway against the agency. I guess that's why Beckett decides to run for office. She wants an in. She runs for Congress first. You stump for her and so does your mother. She does a wonderful job, by the way, as a Grand Dame of the theater. She gets all sorts of names to come out to fund raising events. Of course what really does it is Beckett's history in law enforcement. She makes the other guy look like a wimp, even though he had been a cop too. He was only in robbery – not very manly next to 'Bad Ass Beckett.' I think his name is Demming."

Castle began to cough, and Doyle slapped him on the back. "You know him?" Doyle asked?

"We have a passing acquaintance," Castle told him. "Then what?"

"Beckett still doesn't make as much headway as she wants to, so after a term in Congress, she runs for the Senate. She almost doesn't make it. Her opponent tries to smear her, something about messing up a CIA operation against the Russians."

Castle started to cough again. "You coming down with a cold?" Doyle asked. "We're going to have a vaccine for that."

"Good to know," Castle said, "but what happens to the smear?"

"Funny, there's a leak of CIA documents incriminating her opponent in some overseas money laundering scheme. No one ever finds out who was responsible for the leak."

"I think I have an idea," Castle muttered.

"Anyway," Doyle continued, "she gets elected Senator. Not to long after that, Martha's born. Last I heard, when I left, Beckett got herself put on the Intelligence Committee. She should really be able to dig up some good stuff that way."

"Thanks," Castle told him, "just one more thing, do you know exactly when and where we actually get married?"

"Yeah," Doyle answered, "That was a funny story on one of your book jackets. It was..." Doyle disappeared, leaving Castle standing there, the tracker in his hand. Castle returned to Beckett, his head spinning.

"Hey, so what happened?" Beckett asked.

"Nothing," Castle said. "I looked, but I must have missed him. What happened here?" Castle asked looking at the Deschile letter Beckett had spilled coffee on."

"Nothing," Beckett replied too quickly, "just a little accident."

"Castle noted the shape of the still wet stain, which exactly matched the one in Ward's photograph - and smiled.

A/N The very last day of Nathan's Charity Water Campaign and the last chance to win lunch with him. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist if you need the URL.


	39. Chapter 39

Moment in Time

Smells Like Teen Spirit

"Talk about magnetism," Castle commented with a smile as he and Beckett watched Lucas and Jordan embrace.

"Oh that reminds me," Beckett said, "I had unis sweep Lucas' house. You know what they didn't find? Wires, magnets, anything that would explain that stuff we saw flying around."

Castle watched as Lucas' lips met Jordan's. "You don't think..."

"No," Beckett replied with a smile, "now shut up and kiss me."

The strains of "In My Veins" washed over Castle and Beckett as Castle happily did as he was ordered. The meeting of their mouths was light at first, but grew in intensity as Beckett broke from their dance frame to throw her arms around Castle's neck. He pulled her close as she cupped the back of his head. The room, the swaying teens, the sparkling reflections from the mirror ball, all receded. They existed in their own universe on a crowded dance floor, but reality soon intruded in the form of teenage giggles and whispers. "Kate," Castle murmured in her ear, "We need a more private place."

"It's a long way back to the loft, Castle."

"I know Faircroft pretty well, or at least I did, I think I know a spot," Castle told her, extending a hand as he had to bring her to the dance. Castle led Beckett through a maze of hallways. "Yeah, it should be right here." Castle opened a door to a room filled with thick pads.

"What is this place?" Beckett asked.

"Athletic equipment storage," Castle replied. "This is where they keep the mats for wrestling and gymnastics."

"Your old make out spot with Audra Dobson?" Beckett asked.

Castle started to lean left and sputter. Beckett smiled. "It's okay, Castle. I had a few of my own, not usually as good as this though. So," she said, bringing her hands around him and over his back pockets, "did you have something specific in mind?"

"I think," Castle murmured, slipping her jacket from her shoulders,"we'll just have to feel our way, but first..." Castle locked the door before returning to Beckett, who pulled off his jacket, as he had hers. Castle felt as if he was back in school as he fumbled with the buttons on her blouse, but Kate's fingers were swift and sure. The need that had brought them from the dance floor grew, pushing them to the padded stacks. The venue could not be compared to the pillow-topped comfort of Castle's luxurious bed, but it didn't matter. They were lost in each other.

"Beckett," Castle called as he opened his eyes in the dark.

"What?" Kate answered groggily. "Did we fall asleep? Castle did you turn out the lights?"

"Yes to the first question and no to the second," Castle answered. "Somebody must have hit the master switch for all the lights before closing down the building for the night. We're probably the only ones still here. Do you have your flashlight?"

"It's in my jacket, if I can find it," Beckett answered.

Castle felt for his phone to use the flashlight application. He shined it around the pad they were lying on. "There," he said, focusing the faint beam on the garment.

Beckett retrieved her mini-mag lite. "We should get out of here," she said as her much stronger beam located the rest of the items they had tossed aside, "as soon as we get our stuff back on."

Castle's embarrassed smile was invisible in the dark. "This really is like coming back to high school," he thought. After they were dressed, Beckett aimed her light down the hallway ahead of them while Castle navigated the route to the main exit. It was locked. "Do you have your picks?" Castle asked.

Beckett sighed and shook her head. "I didn't think I'd need them. Is there another way out?"

"We can check," Castle answered, "but unless something has changed, the other exits are all fire doors. An alarm goes off when you open them." Castle lead the way to the various exits, but like almost everything else at Faircroft, the alarms were as they had been. "We could call someone to let us out," Castle suggested.

"Castle, we're not calling anyone," Beckett declared. "I don't need anybody knowing that I got caught in a locked school building after a make out session with my fiance."

"All right," Castle soothed. "Usually Principal Duncan opened this place up at 7:00 A.M.. If a coach had an early practice session, he'd open it up even earlier. All we have to do is wait. When the lights come on, we leave."

Beckett grudgingly agreed. "Hungry?" Castle asked. "We never did have dinner. With any luck there should still be some vending machines in the cafeteria."

As her stomach rumbled, Beckett smiled. "Sounds good, Castle."

Castle examined the machines by the beam of Beckett's light. "Look at that! They take credit cards now! That's something that changed. Good thing, too. Look at the prices!"

After amassing a stack of chips and cookies to go with a couple of soft drinks, Castle led the way to a table in the back corner of the room. "Why here, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"This was where my old table was," Castle explained. "It was out of Principal Duncan's line of sight when he peeked in the door to spy on us and enough out of the way so I could get some writing done."

"Did you write anything good here?" Beckett asked.

"I was getting there. There were a couple of stories that were predecessors to 'In a Hail of Bullets.' I just had to switch from describing girls to describing real women." Castle cupped Beckett's cheek. "Now I could do that by just looking across the table - if I could actually see anything." With the salty sweetness of tortilla chips and chocolate chips, their lips met over their stash of junk.

"How much detention would Principal Duncan have given you for that?" Beckett teased.

"I don't even want to think about it," Castle answered, shaking his head. "Do you want to catch a nap until the lights come on? There are probably a couple of cots in the nurse's office."

"I think," Beckett answered, "I'd like to go back to our mat."

"That's what got us in trouble in the first place, but fine with me," Castle agreed. The mats seemed less comfortable than they had after the dash from the dance floor, but Beckett settled contentedly in the warmth Castle's arms. The lights shocked them awake at five A.M.. "Definitely a coach," Castle said. "We'd better head out fast."

Stealthily, they made their way back to the exit, carefully checking that they were unseen. From his office door, Principal Duncan observed their escape. Shaking his his head, he smiled to himself.

A/N Nathan's Charity Water campaign topped a quarter of a million. Well done! Please don't forget Nerd HQ! They have been the source of the best video on Nathan, Joss, Tom Hiddleston and so many others, besides raising money for Operation Smile. Let's keep it going! Tweet me at CheerfulChemist if you need the URL.


	40. Chapter 40

Moment in Time

Get A Clue

Standing atop the tomb, Beckett finally got bars on her phone. Arm outstretched to preserve the position, she carefully called Esposito.

"S'up, Beckett?" Esposito asked.

"Espo, we found the treasure, but when Castle moved it, we got trapped behind a wall. I need you to come and get us out."

"You're kidding, right? Castle finally got to you and you're playing Indiana Jones."

"No, Javi, I'm serious. You need to come to the chapel now. If you stick your hand in the hole in the face in the wall, you should be able release the door. That worked when Castle did it."

"Beckett, this better not be one of Castle's lame jokes, because you know I'd have to get you back."

"It's not Javi. Just come, okay, and ask Ryan to pick up Nolan."

Beckett tucked her phone back in her pocket and Castle helped her down from her perch. "How long do you think it's going to take him to get here?" Castle asked.

"Probably at least half an hour, assuming he actually believed me," Beckett answered. "Somehow I don't see him using the gumball to get through traffic for this."

"Wow, does that mean I get an uninterrupted half hour with you?" Castle asked.

Beckett smiled saucily. "Looks like it does."

"Good," Castle told her, "because I want to talk about Alexis."

Beckett's smile retreated. "Oh."

"Mother says she's furious with me," Castle continued obliviously. "I have tried to be understanding about Pi, but he's like itching powder. I get irritated every time I'm near him. It wasn't like that with her other boyfriends."

"I seem to recall you wanted to scare her prom date off with a severed head," Beckett reminded him.

"Yeah, but that was just getting something back for the fathers who intimidated me. Besides Alexis talked me out of it. I was good. I didn't even peek when he kissed her good night. Pi is different."

"That's because she's sleeping with him and you know it. You don't like to think your little girl is turning into a woman."

"You're right, but it's not just that. I hate to think of her making a mistake, getting hurt. After Paris I really did want to hire a commando to guard her, not that it did the El-Masris much good. Bad things happen and it hurts to think about them happening to her."

"Castle," Beckett told him, "I understand that you want to protect her. That's how I feel about you. Working with me, even knowing me, puts you in the line of fire. When you were in that bank that was being robbed, Trapper John had his gun on you because you'd been talking to me. When that C4 went off, I felt as if I was being blown up.

In D.C., you were poisoned by that toxin just because you were seen with me. Do you know what it was like seeing you lying on the ground in front of Secretary Reed's house? Seeing you in that hospital bed? I never wanted to let you near a case again.

When you went in that Dental Office to try to get Emma Riggs to let the hostages go, I could barely stand it. And when I thought she'd killed you..."

"I know," Castle told Beckett, "that's the way I felt watching the life drain out of you in the ambulance after Lockwood shot you. I wanted to die with you."

"Castle, we've both had our hearts torn apart watching bad things happen to each other, but we've survived. We've kept showing up for each other. I don't know what's going to happen and neither do you, but we're here, together. You may very well see things happen to Alexis you wished you could have prevented, but you're going to have to find a way to live with that, just like we live with danger to each other."

"So what am I supposed to do?" Castle asked.

"You need to talk to Alexis. Tell her that you accept Pi, that you accept her decisions. I don't know if she'll believe you, after the way you've been acting, but at least you can make a start. Then if you need someone to have a drink with afterward, I'll be there."

"Wow, you really are remarkable," Castle said, stroking Beckett's cheek. "I didn't think it was possible, but I think I love you even more. Castle drew Beckett to him. Soft rays of light filtered down from the skylight that portrayed heaven in the chamber, casting a glow that enveloped them as their lips met. Love flowed over and through them, urging them ever closer. Castle slowly lowered himself to the floor, holding Kate tightly against him to protect her from the hard stone. He barely felt it himself, with Kate was soft and warm in his arms. Her taste overwhelmed his senses as he drank ever more deeply of her mouth. Joining did not seem possible against the rock beneath them, but barriers were pushed aside to passionate touch.

Their release came just as the sound of Esposito's efforts to release the door reached them through the wall. With a hurried refastening of garments and a hasty swipe of fingers through hair, they stood to greet his arrival. "You two been having some fun in here?" Esposito asked, smirking.

"We've just been waitin'" Castle answered unconvincingly.

"Waiting and talking," Beckett added.

"Well your talking got the dust from the floor all over Castle's pants. You might want to brush those off before we get back to the precinct.

"Right," Castle agreed, reddening, but beginning the process."

"Ryan went to pick up Nolan," Esposito continued. "He should have him in the box by the time we get there. You ready to go, Romeo?" he asked Castle.

"Yeah," Castle answered.

As usual, Beckett led the way through the door. "Hey, bro," Esposito whispered to Castle as they followed behind, "making out in a church, near a tomb, that's some kinky stuff. How was it?"

"We are not having this conversation," Castle told him.

"Fine!" Esposito exclaimed, "but when you guys get up tomorrow, I know that you're making her some pancakes." Esposito walked to his car with a self-satisfied smile.


	41. Chapter 41

Moment in Time

Like Father Like Daughter

Castle couldn't hear what Beckett and Alexis were saying as he watched them through the glass, but the meaning of the hug was clear. Two of the three women in his life were bonding. It was the whipped cream on top of the sundae that was his reconciliation with his daughter. Alexis left the workroom, catching sight of her father. She waved and walked toward for the elevator while Castle headed in to see Beckett. "So," Castle asked, "are you finished for the day?"

"Unless another body drops in the next thirty seconds," Beckett replied.

"Barring that, what would you like to do?"

"Well," Beckett reminded him, "you do owe me some visits to wedding venues."

Castle started to open his mouth and Beckett stopped him. "No more about getting married in space."

"Actually I was thinking about something a little more down to Earth," Castle suggested, "Hayden Planetarium."

Beckett looked at Castle skeptically. "What?"

Castle gained enthusiasm. "Think about it. We wanted to try for outside and it has that lovely little park around it. It's attached to the Museum of Natural History, which has an auditorium, so there's somewhere to go if it rains. There's a subway stop right underneath, so transportation is no problem. It's perfect! I think the museum is going to be closed by the time we get there, but at least come walk through the park with me. We could go to Isabella's afterward. It's only three blocks away."

Beckett closed her eyes and ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. "Ooh, they have those chocolate bags filled with raspberry mouse there. You're on, Castle."

Dusk had turned to darkness by the time Castle and Beckett arrived at the grounds surrounding the Planetarium. The park was empty, save for a few people walking their dogs. The duo was strolling slowly, examining the area, when they heard a cry for help. Beckett drew her weapon and followed the sound, followed closely by Castle. A woman caught sight of them and yelled, "He got my purse!"

A dark figure could be seen running away, being vainly pursued by a wildly yapping Pekinese. "Stop, NYPD," Beckett shouted, joining the pursuit with Castle on her heels. The figure didn't slow down until a growling golden retriever blocked his path.

Beckett took the thief down and cuffed him, while the retriever happily licked Castle's face as the owner of the heroic dog arrived with another smaller dog in her arms. "Detective Beckett, Mr. Castle!" Kay Cappuccio greeted them. "Looks like Royal still remembers you."

The smaller dog growled. "Looks like Lolita does too," Castle noted. They were joined by the purse snatching victim who thanked Beckett enthusiastically, scooped up her Pekinese and treated Royal to a scratch behind the ears. Beckett called for a uniformed units to pick up the purse snatcher and take statements from the victim and witnesses.

"What were you doing here without your entourage?" Castle asked Kay.

"Oh, they shut down shooting for the show after Reggie's arrest," Kay answered. "Something about not wanting to be associated with a drug cartel. I love it, though. Royal and Lolita and I can go anywhere we want and my cosmetics line is still going strong. I was going to visit some friends at the Dakota and Royal really loves this park, so I thought we'd make a stop. I'm glad I did. Catching a purse snatcher, how exciting! I should probably call my friends now. They'll be wondering what happened to me and I can't wait to tell this story." Kay wandered off with her phone.

Castle looked at his watch. "We've missed our reservation. Do you want me to see if I can change it?" he asked Beckett.

"I think I'm a little wired now for fine dining," Beckett answered.

"Isabella's does those chocolate bags to go. We could take a couple back to the loft," Castle suggested. "I think we have leftovers in the fridge."

"Sounds good," Beckett agreed.

The refrigerator yielded a large quantity of pasta carbonara that Castle had made, hoping for a meal with Alexis that never happened. Beckett put together a fast salad while Castle opened a bottle of wine. "You want to picnic?" Castle asked.

"Okay"

Castle lit a fire and spread a blanket in front of it. They laid out the food together. "You never told me," Castle said, "what you thought of the venue."

"Honestly, Castle," Beckett replied with a hint of a smile, "there's just too much crime there. I don't think I want to be chasing criminals on our wedding day. I also don't need dog poop on my wedding shoes."

"You have a point," Castle agreed, stretching out with his head propped on one elbow to sip his wine, "although Royal would make a great ring bearer."

Beckett stroked the stubble on Castle's jaw."Tired?" she asked. "It's been a busy few days for you."

"Says the lady who just chased down a purse snatcher. Actually, it's been a good time. We saved a life and I think Alexis and I understand each other again. But I missed you. We haven't been - together, in days."

Beckett smiled fully. "I missed you too. So how about we finish up dinner and - get reacquainted"

Castle smiled back. "I like the way you think."

The pasta and the salads were finished off but Beckett couldn't make it all the way through the chocolate. She put it away, desperately hoping Castle wouldn't try to cook it into an omelet in the morning. Castle folded the blanket and extended a hand to Beckett. Fingers entwined, they reached the bedroom just in time to hear Martha sweep into the loft. "Richard!" Martha called.

"No," Castle muttered shaking his head. "Good night Mother!" he answered loudly, shutting the bedroom door and locking it with a decisive click.

"Castle, she probably just wanted to say hello," Beckett told him, "you have been away for a few days."

"I'll say hello to her in the morning. Knowing mother, she'll more than understand. Right now I just want to say hello to you."

"So where were we?" Beckett asked, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Castle brought Beckett against his hips with a sudden tug. "Right about here."

Their mouths met with a spicy sweetness. Beckett pulled back for just a moment. "Castle," she whispered. "Welcome home."

A/N I lived about four blocks from the museum and planetarium during my teen years, when the neighborhood was rent controlled. I walked my sister's dog, who was very protective, in that park at 2:00 A.M.. No one bothered me. I couldn't afford to live there if I moved back to N.Y. C. now. It got very upscale. It is in the area supposedly served by Nikki Heat's precinct. The Dakota is nine blocks from the museum.


	42. Chapter 42

Moment in Time

Valkyrie

"Dear Kate,

It's been the first day of my book tour. I'm so sorry I had to cancel our weekend together. I miss you more than I can say, which is something for a writer. It has been pretty much the usual thing. I think my 'number one fans' number in the thousands now, although with the graphic novels, a lot more of them are male. You would probably be glad to know that means a lot fewer fans want me to sign their chests – although a couple of those guys... I don't even want to think about it. Anyway, I'm at the hotel. I checked for bedbugs. You never know these days. I ordered room service and I was hoping that I could have a call with you so that we could have dinner together, if not face to face, phone to phone, but you obviously have a case. I'm hoping I can reach you later. The nights are very long without you.

Love,

Rick"

"Dear Rick,

I didn't have a case today, I had a training exercise, and Babe, I really blew it. I thought I'd be doing deep and important investigations here, not lying in some alley covered in fake blood. I think like a detective and they are expecting me to think like a spy. I can't assume any intelligence is correct or believe anything I see. I should probably reread your Derrick Storm novels. Your mind for conspiracy is a lot like things work around here. I like Rachel, but I miss having you as a partner. I want someone who can know what I'm thinking and finish my sentences. Of course you'll be my partner in life, when we figure out how to make that work, but I miss you every day. I'll try to call later.

Love you,

Kate"

"Dear Kate,

It was so good to finally reach you last night, even if it was midnight. I got on a plane first thing this morning for a book signing this afternoon. Some guy asked me if I would give a better description of Jameson Rook, nude. He leered at me. You know me, I don't criticize anyone's life style, unless they're trying to kill me, but it creeped me out. I guess I still need to learn to go with the flow a little bit more. There was also a woman who hugged me and grabbed my butt. Once, I didn't mind that kind of thing. Actually, I kind of liked it, but now I feel like it should be reserved for you. I look forward to the day when we can tell the world we're together and that this body is private territory, exclusive to Kate Beckett.

Lovingly yours,

Rick"

"Dear Rick,

It's probably just as well I didn't see that bimbo grab you, I might have broken her wrist. Despite my performance in the training exercises, the other agents here are encouraging. Even Rachel is softening up a bit. I have started a case, but I can't tell you anything about it. It's classified. I hate that! I want to be able to bounce things off you, hear your theories, crazy as they sometimes have been. You have incredible insight. You see things I don't notice and I realize every day how much I wish I had that vivid imagination of yours by my side. Please tell me we'll find a way to make this work.

Love,

Kate"

"Dear Kate,

I'm sending you a present I found when I had a spare hour to poke around in the airport. It's a phone that is waterproof, shockproof, and chemical resistant. I'm hoping that you can take it everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. I have one too. Maybe that way we can see more of each other in every way. I don't care if that sounded a little kinky. You've never minded a little kink anyway. I'm getting really desperate. I can't wait for this tour to be over. I need you, more than I ever thought I'd need anyone.

Love,

Rick"

"Dear Rick,

I got the phone. I hope you like the shots I sent you. I used the waterproof feature to good advantage. I enjoyed your pic, but I hope you're never planning on running for Congress. It could be awkward. We're still working on the case I mentioned and I really feel stuck. I remember when I first came to you feeling that way and we walked the crime scene together. I was so insistent that I would never want to be married to you. How things have changed. Then I could have been with you and I said I didn't want to. Now I want to be and can't. I am counting the days until your tour is over and I can come to NYC and see you. I just hope a case doesn't intervene. As the new person, I come when I'm called. I miss having a Ryan and Esposito, but not as much as I miss you.

Love,

Kate"

"Dear Kate,

I'm beginning to think that getting pics from you was not such a great idea. I'm fantasizing in the middle of signings. I must have a really strange look on my face because some of the fans are acting as if I'm giving them a come on. I've had to turn down some pretty strange propositions. You really don't want to know. I'm going to try to keep my mind on my work, hard as that may be missing you. The pun was not intended. Honest! Well, maybe it was. I'm in Seattle now, so of course it's raining. The coffee is great, though. I'm sending you some beans. I'm also sending some back to NYC. Maybe we we can drink our coffee and think of each other. I have to catch another plane.

Love,

Rick"

"Dear Rick,

I got the coffee and it's heavenly. I shaved a little chocolate on top of it, which is probably what you will do. I saw a TV interview with you last night. It was great to see you on a screen that wouldn't fit in my bag, but even with your usual infectious grin, I could tell you were tired. You actually looked great. I'm sure the make-up people took care of that, not that you don't look great anyway. But there was something about the way you sat, the way you walked to your seat, that even as a detective I wouldn't have noticed before I knew you. I never used to think about how grueling it must be to do 12 cities in 11 days. Well, you're almost done. My case is winding up too, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that our plans will hold.

Love you,

Kate"

"Dear Kate,

I'm making my last appearance. There is a flat Castle here, one of those life sized cut-outs of me you find so creepy. They want me to take it home with me. Maybe they find it a little creepy too. Its eyes really do seem to follow you. That means I'm going to have to check luggage which means even more time at the airport on both ends. I actually got patted down by TSA on my last trip. I think the jerk enjoyed it, too. He was smirking. I hope it doesn't happen again. The only hands I want on me are yours, and the sooner the better. I never thought it possible to miss another person this much. I never really believed some of the things that turn up in romance novels. No, I don't usually read them, but Mother and Alexis have left them around the loft and I take a peek from time to time. Anyway, I understand now. Painful as that may be, there's an upside to it. I may be able to characterize what Rook does as a romance writer better. I wish it was as easy to get us together as it is for me to write a tryst for Nikki and Rook. I'll be on a red eye back to NYC tonight, but there will be a couple of stops, so I won't be back until some time tomorrow. I think Gina may have saved a few bucks booking it that way. I'm plotting my revenge.

All my love and my lust,

Rick"

"Dear Rick,

I just called you to say I couldn't come and I'm in the car with Rachel. I don't know what we're doing and I couldn't tell you if I did, but please know I really wanted to come. I really want to see you. I'll try my best to make it happen.

Love,

Kate"

"Screw that!" Castle exclaimed, reading Kate's last text, and punched the keys to book a trip to Washington D.C..


	43. Chapter 43

Moment in Time

The Good, The Bad & The Baby

There was not a square inch of room left on the table. The turkey was huge and perfectly browned. Jim Beckett's corn casserole was inviting and even Pi's cranberry relish sent up a pleasingly tangy aroma. Castle prepared to carve the turkey, having pre-sharpened his high end carving knife to a razor sharp edge, but he narrowly escaped having the sleeve of his pilgrim costume dip into the drippings. Beckett covered her mouth to smother a laugh.

"Oh yeah, very funny Beckett," Castle griped. "I hope you didn't put a deposit on this thing, because if I have to carve wearing it, you won't be getting it back."

Beckett mentally calculated whether witnessing Castle's discomfort would be worth the price of getting the costume cleaned or even possibly replacing it, and decided that she'd had enough fun. "Okay Castle," she surrendered. "You can change, if I can."

As Beckett headed for the bedroom, Castle watched the sway of her deerskin fringe and wondered if he should reconsider, but the pants Beckett had gotten for him were tight. He wondered if that had been deliberate or not, but in any case they'd never make it through a Thanksgiving feast. He followed on Beckett's heels.

Beckett tugged at the zipper that ran up the back of her costume in frustration. "Can I help?" Castle asked.

"I think one of my fringes is caught," Beckett told him. "Can you...?"

Castle lifted Beckett's hair out of the way, unable to resist pressing a kiss to the back of her neck as he did.

"Easy, Castle," Beckett cautioned. "We have guests waiting."

"Just having an hors d'oeuvre," Castle quipped, loosening the suede that had kept the zipper from sliding. "There you go!" As Beckett freed herself from her costume, Castle quickly slipped out of his. As Beckett grabbed a slinky sheath, Castle pulled on dress pants and a royal blue shirt.

"I love you in that shirt," Beckett purred, sticking her hands underneath it. "It brings out your eyes."

"Easy Kate, we have guests waiting," Castle reminded her with a grin. The pair returned to the table, where a still smiling Castle retrieved his knife. Alexis was cuddling up to Pi as he recounted his adventures in bee counting. Castle was glad he had something to cut.

"Do you smell smoke?" Jim Beckett asked, just as a smoke alarm in the kitchen began to blare.

"Oh no!" Martha exclaimed. "That's my pumpkin risotto. I had it simmering to absorb the water."

The ringing of the land line added to the cacophony. "That'll be the company that monitors our security system," Castle announced going to answer it. "Mother, could you please take care of your creation while I keep them from calling the fire department."

Martha took her smoking pot off the heat and turned on the exhaust fan while Castle spoke the necessary password into the phone. The silence was almost shocking as the din ceased.

"Well," Jim Beckett said, trying to smooth over the situation, "that was exciting."

"That's one word for it," Castle muttered under his breath.

Jim Beckett tried again. "I think this would be a good time for everyone to say what they're thankful for."

"Why Jim, I think that's a lovely idea," Martha enthused. "I'll start. I'm thankful that we have the family together for Thanksgiving – and that there's so much food that we don't need my risotto."

Alexis picked up the thread. "And I'm thankful I met Pi."

Beckett could see Castle starting to open his mouth and kicked him under the table.

Pi continued. "And I'm thankful that I met Alexis and that New York has good fruit markets."

Beckett kicked Castle again.

"I'm grateful to have Thanksgiving with my daughter and all of you," Jim Beckett contributed.

Beckett took Castle's hand. "I'm thankful to be engaged to the man I love."

Castle stroked Beckett's cheek. "And I'm thankful that she said yes."

Castle framed Beckett's face for a kiss to the sound of a soft "eww," from Alexis.

Castle gave Beckett another kiss for emphasis, then broke away proudly proclaiming, "Let's eat!"

Castle served turkey to everyone except Pi. Alexis brought out a plate of fruit she had lovingly prepared for her boyfriend and stashed in the refrigerator. In deference to Jim Beckett, Castle served sparkling cider instead of wine with dinner. When the dishes were cleared, Alexis brought out her dessert, a selection of perfect fruits including huge strawberries with a dark chocolate fountain for dipping. Castle provided a perfect compliment in dark rich coffee.

"I don't know about you," Jim Beckett said, as they all leaned back in their chairs, more than sated, "after all that, I need a walk. Would anyone care to join me? Martha?"

Castle and Beckett threw questioning glances at each other and Beckett almost imperceptibly shook her head. "Actually Castle and I are going to sort through all the groceries he bought to put together a package to take to the food bank tomorrow," Kate said.

"And Pi and I are going to meet some friends," Alexis added.

"I'd be glad to go walking with you, Jim," Martha answered. Jim Beckett helped Martha on with her coat and they left the loft, followed shortly by Alexis and Pi.

"Beckett," Castle said, "we put aside all the stuff for the food bank already."

"I know," Beckett replied, her eyes twinkling and the corners of her mouth turning up with mischief.

"My mother knows it too."

"So she does," Beckett answered. "I think she and my dad may have a long walk. We," she said, grabbing Castle's hand, "can take a very short one."

The walk was actually more of a fast jog, ending at the bed.

Beckett grabbed at Castle's shirt and pulled. Buttons flew. "I thought you liked this shirt on me," Castle said.

"I like it off you even better."

Castle reached for the hem of Beckett's sheath and pulled it over her head in one motion. Not sure of how much time they had, there was no languor to their loving. Kisses were hard and demanding, the swiftly rising heat threatening to set the smoke detectors blaring again. The tension grew between overwhelming hunger and urgency of fulfillment, tension broken by explosive force that left them senselessly entwined.

Kate lifted her head slowly. "Castle," she whispered, "happy Thanksgiving."

"Kate," he murmured, nuzzling her ear with his nose, "best Thanksgiving ever!"


	44. Chapter 44

Moment in Time

Under Fire

Kevin Ryan gazed lovingly at his wife and daughter and collapsed.

The ambulances carrying Esposito, and Kevin, Jenny, and Sara Grace Ryan sped to the hospital. As the adrenaline of the partners' rescue had receded, the consequences of their injuries became apparent. Jenny clung tightly to Kevin's hand during the trip as did Lanie to Javier's. Castle and Beckett followed in Beckett's car, but were consigned to the waiting room, as the doctors and nurses did their work.

Beckett rested her head on Castle's shoulder. "What are you thinking about?" Castle asked.

"Feeling helpless when I thought Ryan and Espo were burning to death and there was nothing I could do. I never want to feel that way again."

"You're a warrior Kate. Whatever it is, you take it on full out. I love that about you. Tell me, would you have actually shot Kimball?"

"I don't know Castle. I'm glad I didn't have to find out."

Beckett and Castle stood as they spotted Lanie coming toward them, relieved to see that she was smiling.

"Everyone's going to be fine," Lanie announced. "Sarah Grace is perfect. They're all going to stay overnight for monitoring, but things look good."

Beckett hugged Lanie before turning to kiss Castle. "You did this, you know," she told him. "If you hadn't figured out those plans had been altered...,"

"Kate, everyone did it. Espo freed Kevin. Kevin figured out the phone. Lanie took care of Jenny and Sarah Grace. Deirdre figured out it was Kimball. You got him to talk. The fire department got them out. Even Captain Gates helped. That's the way the world is supposed to work. I wish we saw it more often. And I - we, are going to throw a huge party to celebrate."

Police and Fire calendars could easily have been made from the celebrants at the Old Haunt, but the party was largely divided by gender. At one end of the bar was a fantasy in pink. Helium filled pink balloons covered the ceiling. The tables in the booths were topped in pink cloths and pink rosebuds. A multi-tiered cake was decorated with pink booties and a table was piled high with presents bearing pink bows. Sarah Grace was in a frilly pink bassinet surrounded by cooing women – and Castle.

Most of the men clustered at the other end of the bar, throwing back cold ones and trading stories. Kate Beckett and Kevin Ryan circulated between the two groups. Kate approached Castle to whisper softly, "Shouldn't you do something to get the two halves of this party together?"

"I know just what to do," Castle replied. He signaled to a young man who had been talking to Brian the bartender. "Nathan'll get it going," he told Beckett, with a self-satisfied smile.

Nathan climbed up on a stage that had been set up in the middle of the room and spoke into a microphone. "I'm Nathan and I'm your karaoke host. Could Kevin Ryan and Javier Esposito please come up here?" Esposito started for the stage, while Ryan stood in place, his skin rapidly acquiring a reddish hue. Esposito went back to get him as the room was filled with encouraging applause. They mounted the stage together.

"I am told," Nathan explained to the crowd, "That these two men are here today because many of you never stopped believing that they could be saved." The crowd started to hoot and whistle. Nathan put up a hand. "So I'm going to start things off with 'Don't Stop Believing,' by Journey."

After Nathan belted out his song to cheers and whistles, he was followed by a stream of police and firefighters with boundless enthusiasm, but uneven talent. Esposito performed "Ledge of Love" to great approval. As the beer continued to flow, one of the firefighters performed "Bohemian Rhapsody" in a startling falsetto. Unfortunately, it was especially startling to Sarah Grace who put out an amazing degree of volume for a newborn. Lanie picked her up to croon a soft jazzy lullaby, while Castle instructed Nathan to turn off the equipment and take a break.

It seemed like the perfect opportunity for Jenny to plow through the mountain of gifts that awaited her. Ryan stood at her side as she carefully undid ribbons and wrapping paper. Ever detail oriented, Jenny's mother made list of who gave what, so that proper notes could be written. Packages yielded a bounty of onesies, blankets, frilly dresses, and toys. Homicide had jointly bought a stroller and old friends from narcotics had purchased a baby swing. As Jenny was unwrapping the last of her booty, beeping and the sounds of a truck backing up could be heard from outside. "That's another present," Castle announced. Two men entered the bar pushing dollies stacked with cases of disposable diapers wrapped in satin ribbon. "They're biodegradable," Castle proudly proclaimed. "Sarah Grace will have an early start at being kind to the planet."

Beckett smiled at her fiance. "You don't do anything half way, do you?"

"Not if I can help it," Castle answered with a grin.

Jenny cut her cake and Brian began to distribute coffee. Sarah Grace started to make protests that most of parents present, including Castle, immediately recognized as cranky tired. Castle whispered to the piano player, who began a rendition of "Good Night Ladies." Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged as the party broke up. Castle and Beckett returned to the loft, relieved that a cleaning crew would arrive in the morning to remedy the results of the night's revelry.

* * *

Beckett and Castle watched the reflections of flames from the fire dance in their wineglasses. "What kind of a party do you think we should have when our child is born?" Castle asked.

"Castle, do you know something I don't know?" Beckett inquired. "Seriously, don't you think we'd better finish planning the wedding first? Maybe we could actually pick a date?"

"You're right," Castle agreed, "but I could just see us, taking over the park or the zoo, or maybe using the lawn or the beach at the Hamptons house. We could invite all our friends and their kids. Sarah Grace would be toddling around by then. It would be great!"

"Castle, if we don't set a date soon, Sarah Grace could be toddling around at our wedding."

"We'll figure it out, Kate," Castle promised, pulling her close. "If there's anything I've learned from that fire, it's that nothing is impossible."

A/N Some of you probably know that one of the ways Nathan Fillion worked his way through school was as a karaoke host. I had to give Esposito Jon Huertas' song too. I just couldn't help myself.


	45. Chapter 45

Moment in Time

Deep Cover

"He's not family, you are. We're getting married in September. Not too hot. Not too cold. Goldilocks zone," Castle announced.

"What about your book tour?" Beckett asked.

"Screw it!" Castle exclaimed.

Beckett did a little happy dance in her chair as Castle walked away. As he approached the elevator, Castle turned on his heel, returning to Beckett. "Forget something, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"I don't want to leave without you. We just decided when we're going to get married. I want to celebrate."

"Castle, I'm on shift for another hour. You know that."

Castle settled in his chair at the side of Beckett's desk. "I'll wait."

"You know you could help me with this," Kate said. "I have to fill out a report on the case, but I can't mention anything we know about Gemini or your father. I could use your vivid imagination."

"My vivid imagination is at your service," Castle told her as he pulled his chair next to hers. He spoke softly in her ear as he concocted a story.

Kate's brow wrinkled in consternation as Castle finished. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Don't you think my tale will hold up?"

"That's just the problem, Castle," Kate answered. "I do. This will be a cold case forever. No one will ever know that Gemini is dead. I hate hiding the truth this way, even if it is for the good of the country."

"I know," Castle said. "My father is kind of a douche for putting you in that position and I really hate knowing that he is. It was a lot more fun when I could pretend that he was an astronaut or invented whipped cream."

"I'm sorry Castle, I know this has been even harder on you and Martha than it has on me. Are you still in a mood to celebrate?"

"Even more," Castle answered. "Being with you is just what I need."

"So where did you want to go?"

"Coney Island," Castle answered. "This case took some fun out of the place. I want to get it back."

"Are you on the hunt for a wild funnel cake, Castle?" Beckett asked as they disembarked the "Q" train.

"Food would not be the best idea right now," Castle answered. "I want to go on the Cyclone."

"You haven't had enough of an adrenaline rush for today? I would think having someone try to kill you would be enough."

"I want one with you screaming in my arms."

"Castle, you don't need a roller coaster to do that," Beckett replied, bumping him with her hip. "And for your information, I don't scream on roller coasters."

"A dollar says you do," Castle dared.

"You're on!"

Beckett sat impassively as the car roared up and down the historic coaster. Before the steepest descent, she raised her arms in defiance. As the car began its downward trajectory, she whooped as Castle tickled her. "Pay up, Beckett," Castle insisted when they reached Terra firma.

"Castle, I did not scream. I was reacting to you tickling me. It had nothing to do with the ride."

"Beckett, it was on the ride and you screamed. Don't be a welsher."

"Fine!" Beckett retorted, scowlingly handing Castle a dollar.

"Beckett, don't be a sore loser. I'll buy you a knish."

"A cherry knish, Castle?" Kate asked, a hint of a smile teasing the corners of her mouth.

"Whatever you want."

As Beckett ate her gooey treat, they strolled through the amusements. "How about a skeeball tournament, Castle?" Beckett proposed. "Give me a chance to win my dollar back."

"You think you're going to beat me at skeeball?" Castle asked skeptically. "Prepare to be crushed!"

Castle grumpily handed Beckett a dollar. "Now who's a sore loser?" Beckett teased. "What's your favorite thing to do at Coney Island?" Castle just wiggled his eyebrows. "Castle, it's a little cold to be making out under the boardwalk."

"How about on the Wonder Wheel?" Castle proposed.

Dusk had become moonlit early evening and a cool breeze blew off the Atlantic Ocean. The gondola of the giant Ferris wheel swayed gently as passengers were discharged and loaded two by two. Beckett snuggled against Castle who threaded his fingers into her hair and lowered his mouth for a kiss. The breeze swirled around them but the chill vanished. They were in a world of their own, high above the ground. The jerks of the wheel as their perch was slowly ratcheted earthward went unnoticed until the voice of Brooklyn invaded. "Buddy, the ride is over. Get a room, will ya?"

Beckett felt color rising in her face as she and Castle hustled away from the ride. "Castle, I haven't been caught like that since I was a teenager."

Castle, finding it hard to be embarrassed about kissing a beautiful woman, decided that it was best to say nothing. The chill returned as they made their way back to the subway station. As Beckett seemed decidedly reticent about snuggling up again, Castle offered hot chocolate for the ride home.

Beckett sipped slowly, the pale sheen left on her upper lip by the whipped cream tempted Castle to kiss it away, but he knew better than to try, as they approached the turnstiles. A large man with the unsteadiness and reek of too much beer, stumbled into Beckett, splattering her hot chocolate across her face, mouth, and jacket. "Great!" she exclaimed, as Castle dabbed at the sticky liquid with his handkerchief.

"Did you get burned?" Castle asked?"

"No, it just made a mess," Beckett answered.

"I'm sorry, Kate," Castle told her. "I was hoping this would work out better."

"Castle, it's okay. I had as much fun on the Wonder Wheel as you did. I just had a teen-age flashback, kind of like you did when Martha surprised us on our first morning together."

Castle laughed. "She knew all along, anyway, some kind of Jedi mother thing."

Beckett smiled. "And I bet the guy at the Wonder Wheel sees people making out all the time. He just got his jollies razzing us about it." They exchanged cocoa kisses before the train doors opened.

Hand in hand, Castle and Beckett came through the door of the loft to the sight of Martha sitting pensively on the couch. "Castle," Beckett said softly. "I'm going to clean up and get a shower."

"I could join you," Castle suggested hopefully.

Beckett squeezed his hand. "I think Martha needs to talk about what happened with your father. It should be between the two of you."

"Can we pick this up later?" Castle asked.

Kate pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen over the earnestness of his blue eyes. "Count on it."

A/N Knishes are crisp and stuffed, usually with a potato filling. The only place I've ever had one with cherries was Coney Island. I hope they still sell them.


	46. Chapter 46

Moment in Time

Limelight

Castle grabbed the engagement announcement. "Does this say we're getting married in space?"

"No, it's not going to happen Babe." Beckett walked away, still smiling.

"It'd be pretty fun," Castle mused. "Space," he declared regally, before following Beckett to her desk. "Oooh, paperwork, I have something I have to do."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Of course you do, Castle."

"No really. Alexis looked pretty serious when she left. I want to find out what's up."

"You gave her the letter for Pi, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but she looked - funny, like when she was a little girl and she broke something she didn't want me to know about. I'm going to check on her. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Unless another body drops, I should be back for dinner," Beckett assured him.

Castle climbed the steps to Alexis' student slum and knocked. When his daughter answered the door, he was relieved not to see the red-rimmed eyes he had been expecting, but Alexis was definitely subdued. She motioned him in and the sat together on the couch he had gotten out of storage for the little apartment. "What's up, kid?" Castle asked.

"I broke up with Pi," Alexis explained. "He'll be leaving."

"Why?" Castle asked, although he could think of a hundred reasons of his own.

"Well, for one thing," Alexis explained, "he's a real slob. I was always picking up after him. I actually slipped on a banana peel one morning. He was always taking my razor and I'm getting really tired of fruit."

"You want to tell me the real reason?" Castle asked.

"Dad, remember when we talked about being in love making your heart beat faster?"

Castle nodded.

"Well mine didn't. When I looked at him, all I could feel was annoyed. I look at you and Beckett. Even when you're fighting with each other, there's nothing but love in your eyes. I want to feel that, and with Pi, I don't. Does that make me a bad person? I feel like it does."

Castle put an arm around his daughter as she lay her head on his shoulder. "No it doesn't. The heart wants what the heart wants. You can't control it. You know, no one's touched your room except to dust it. You can come home."

"Dad, I can't. I signed a lease. I have a responsibility."

"I can help you with that. I'll just pay it off," Castle told her.

"No Dad. I did this to myself. You tried to tell me and you were right. I can pick up some tutoring. Lots of people have asked me if I would. I can do this."

Castle kissed his daughter's hair. "All right, but you know if you need me, if you need anything, you can always call me."

Alexis hugged him and kissed his cheek. "I know."

Beckett returned to the loft to find Castle starring blankly at his "You Should Be Writing," screen saver. "What's up, Babe?"

"Alexis broke up with Pi." Castle answered.

"I would have thought that would make you happy. What's wrong?"

"She's not coming home. She's not even going to the dorm. She signed a lease on that rat hole and she's determined to keep it. She won't let me help. She's going to work herself into the ground to make it happen."

Beckett started to gently massage Castle's shoulders. "I would think you'd be proud of her determination."

Castle reached up to stroke her hand. "I am. But she's still my little girl and I hate the thought of her having to go through that when it's so unnecessary."

Beckett put her arms around Castle's neck. "I know. The way you love her and care for her is one of the things I've always found so attractive about you. She'll work it out, and if she doesn't, you'll always be there for her. She knows how much you love her."

Castle rose from his chair, his encircling arms pulling Beckett close. "Do you know how much I love you?"

Beckett's fingertips caressed his lips. "I think you're going to have to show me."

"How about if I show the world?" Castle asked. "Now that we're officially engaged, let's go to Le Cirque. A picture on _Page Six _of us making out at the table would kibosh all the Gina rumors."

"That actually sounds like fun," Beckett answered. "I just need to make a phone call and put this on," she said, pulling out the chain around her neck."

Castle smiled. "I'll get a cab."

_This reporter was just in the right place at the right time to spot bestselling author Richard Castle and his fiancee, NYPD detective Kate Beckett getting out of a cab in front of Le Cirque. My attention was immediately drawn by the flash of the rock on Kate's finger. The couple couldn't have looked cozier, holding hands as they entered the restaurant, stopping every few feet for a kiss. They were obviously expected as they were shown immediately to a secluded corner table. However, managing to secure an excellent vantage point, I could observe the action. The couple dined from the Heritage Menu with the Prestige Wine Pairings. They started with the lobster salad followed by the foie gras ravioli. Both chose the Tuscan brick pressed chicken. The surprise came at the end of the meal, when the chocolate stove cake placed in front of Richard Castle was in the shape of a space ship. This seemed to be some kind of a private joke, as the couple had a good laugh followed by what could only be described as a passionate kiss. They lingered until closing over espresso, having one last kiss before leaving arm in arm. Hot hot hot! Congratulations to the loving couple. I hope the marriage is as smoking as the engagement._

Castle folded the newspaper he had been reading with Beckett. You think that will do it?" he asked.

"I don't know, Castle. Maybe we should practice that smoking part a bit more in case that reporter shows up again."

Castle brushed back the hair from Kate's temple and framed Kate's face in his hands, bringing her lips to his own. "I'm all over it."

A/N Only 18 more days to fund Nerd HQ. If that's important to you, tweet me at CheerfulChemist for the URL.


	47. Chapter 47

Moment in Time

Disciple

As Castle played with the pen that Kelly Nieman had left, the top popped off, revealing a USB drive. Castle and Beckett looked at each other. "I'll get my laptop," Castle said.

"Wait, Castle," Beckett cautioned. "You don't know what's on there. It could have a virus, or a worm. Who knows what Nieman left us?"

"You're right," Castle agreed. "I have an old laptop that just has junk on it. It won't be connected to the internet so that nothing will be up or downloaded, and I don't care if the files on that machine are corrupted."

A music player popped up when Castle inserted the USB drive into the trash laptop. "We'll Meet Again," by Vera Lynn began to play. Castle could see the shock and horror on Kate's face. "It's not over," Kate whispered softly.

Castle gathered her in his arms, stroking her hair. "We're going to figure it out."

"How Castle?" Kate asked. "The files are gone. Kelly Nieman's office is cleaned out. All we have is a warning that Nieman, or someone will be back."

"There's one thing about Nieman's office that we haven't checked out," Castle told her.

"What?"

"The receptionist, Bryce. We've never questioned him."

"That's because we don't know who he is, Castle. We don't even have a last name."

"Beckett, we've had less to work with before. Maybe he was a nurse, or at least a healthcare worker. We remember what he looked like. We can start checking registries."

"Castle, that could be days of work and right now I'm exhausted."

"Me too. We both could use a good night's sleep, but we can start looking in the morning."

Rick and Kate spooned through the night, gathering comfort from each others' presence. Kate's eyes opened before sunrise. Castle's arms were around her and she covered his hands with her own, feeling his warmth against her back, but thoughts, like demons, came out of the dark. She could hear the music playing ominously in her head. Jerry Tyson, or his legacy was always two steps ahead. He set his intricate traps and she and her whole team, including Castle fell into them. The weight of that was heavy on Castle's shoulders and he didn't deserve it. They had all been fooled and everything that slipped through their fingers unleashed greater horror and death. A soft moan escaped her lips.

Castle stirred. "Kate? What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry Castle, I didn't mean to wake you. I'm okay."

"Sure?" Castle asked.

Beckett turned to face him. "Yeah," she said, pressing her mouth against his lips. A kiss, meant to be soft and reassuring, became more. The dread that had haunted them both, invaded their passion and they reached desperately for each other to exorcise it. Drawn together, almost as by an unseen force, they were one, love overcoming the ravages of fear. As the light of day illuminated their bodies, darkness was pushed from their minds.

* * *

Castle and Beckett bent over the computers at the 12th looking for Bryce. As far as they could tell, he wasn't a registered nurse, nor did he appear on any other registry. "Damn it, Castle!" Beckett exclaimed. "It's just another dead end."

"Okay," Castle responded, "let's think about this for a minute. With Jerry Tyson no one was ever what they appeared to be. If Nieman was using his playbook, then Bryce wasn't a nurse."

Castle and Beckett looked at each other as a realization dawned on them simultaneously. "He's an actor!"

"We should sit down with an artist to do a sketch we can show to the casting agencies," Castle suggested.

Castle let Beckett, as the trained observer, take the lead in the session with the police artist. Castle thought that he might have made the guy a little less good looking, but he was satisfied with the result. Copies of the sketch were distributed to Ryan and Esposito as well as some uniformed police, to begin the search.

"You know," Castle speculated, "if Nieman really wanted to taunt us, she'd use the same agency that Tyson used to find my lookalike."

"You're right, Castle," Beckett agreed. "Let's go see them."

* * *

Castle was glad a cap and sunglasses were unnecessary for his return to the casting agency. The receptionist examined the sketch. "Yeah, he's one of ours," she said. "He doesn't really look like anyone except for the guy in 'Ripple Effect,' and we don't have any call for him. We send this guy out for general stuff, background, boyfriends, a male nurse once, that kind of thing."

Castle and Beckett looked at each other. "Do you have his contact information?" Castle asked.

"Sure," she answered. "Bryce McManus. I'll print it out for you."

Beckett and Castle both wore their vests. "Bryce McManus," Beckett called, knocking on apartment 47, "NYPD, open up!"

Beckett pulled out her picks. After hearing the click of the lock releasing, she drew her weapon and carefully opened the door. "Bryce McManus, NYPD!" she called again. Moving slowly and deliberately, Beckett looked around the apartment, keeping Castle behind her. At first it seemed that Bryce McManus was standing in a doorway, but a closer look showed that he was not. He had been suspended by fishing line as the faux Lanie and Esposito had been. A note on the body read, "Sorry, late again."

Beckett, surrounded by Esposito, Ryan and Castle, surveyed the picture of Bryce McManus on the murder board. "CSU went over every inch of McManus' apartment," she explained, frustration lending grit to her voice. "It was clean. His bank account showed payments from a corporation, registered to a Harold Shipman, also a dead end."

"Another serial killer," Castle said. "He was an 'Angel of Mercy,' a medical killer. Another piece of twisted humor."

"Tory has been analyzing the USB drive that Nieman left to see if there's any kind of identifier on it. So far, she's come up empty, but she thinks there may be some kind of message imbedded in the music," Beckett continued.

"Detective," Tory called from across the bullpen, "I've got something. I need to play it for you."

The group quickly gathered in the Tech Room to hear the screech emanating from the speakers. "At first I thought it was noise," Tory explained, "but then I realized it had been speeded up. Listen when I slow it down."

The voice was chillingly familiar, as Jerry Tyson intoned, "I'll be back."

A/N First of all, who takes a strange USB drive, especially one from a very bad person, and sticks it in their computer? Seriously? Both Castle and Beckett are far too computer literate for that. Also, there are no minor characters in 3XK stories. If someone is there, it's for a reason. I usually think (with the exception of TSATQ) that I'm adding to what the writers did, not fixing it. The writers do very difficult and very good work. But these things were sloppy, so I did a little fixing. We'll have to see how it all shakes out.


	48. Chapter 48

Moment in Time

Room 147

"Sometimes it's hard to know who the right person is," Beckett said, poking Castle. "After all, it took you three tries."

"True," Castle agreed, "but I figured it out, and you didn't even have to drug me."

Beckett ran the tip of her tongue over her lips as the corners of her mouth quirked. "How do you know what I do to you when you're sleeping?"

"Whoa!" Castle exclaimed. "Well, whatever it is, wake me up for it next time." Leaning in for a kiss, Castle was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Excuse me," he said regretfully, brushing Beckett's lips with a fingertip.

When Castle opened the door, Alexis stood on the other side of the threshold. "Alexis," Castle asked, "what's going on?"

Alexis was hesitant yet pleading. "Dad can I come home?"

The grin that started at Castle's mouth rapidly took over his entire face as he ecstatically told Alexis, "Come here."

Alexis flew into Castle's waiting arms, catching sight of Beckett over Castle's shoulder and mouthing, "Thanks." Beckett smiled contentedly, as father and daughter embraced.

"So," Castle asked. "how are we going to do this? Do you need to get stuff from your apartment?"

"Right now?" Alexis asked.

"I've waited long enough to have you home," Castle answered, "unless you want to wait?"

"No," Alexis answered. "This is where I want to be now."

"Okay then," Castle proposed. "How about if we go out out for a family dinner? Then we can stop by the apartment and get what you need for tonight. We can pack up the rest tomorrow."

"You two have a good time," Beckett said, not quite sure where she entered into a family dinner. She received looks of astonishment from both father and daughter.

"Aren't you coming?" Castle and Alexis asked simultaneously.

"Wow!" Castle exclaimed. "The only time that's happened before is when we were working on that case in Pennsylvania. Obviously Alexis and I both think of you as family, Kate, so come on!" Beckett joined them, and Castle walked to the elevator with a woman he loved on each arm.

In the spirit of family, the trio went to Walker's in Tribeca, an old fashioned neighborhood restaurant. There were several families seated there with kids busily coloring special menus. Burgers were ordered all around, Alexis seeming to have a particular yen for meat after her time spent with a fruitarian, and living on a budget largely devoted to making the rent. On the way uptown to Alexis' Columbia neighborhood, they picked up sundae makings. Alexis constructed huge creations, grabbing the whipped cream away from Castle who insisted on squirting it in his mouth. With unaccustomed saity, Alexis picked out the clothing and toiletries she would need for the night and morning, and two Castles and the Castle-to-be returned to the loft.

"Can't sleep?" Beckett asked as Castle lay in bed, watching the glint of the city lights reflecting off the shell collection on the wall.

"Mmm," Castle answered.

"Too much whipped cream?"

"Beckett, there's no such thing as too much whipped cream! No, it's just a little weird to know Alexis is in the house again. I keep listening for her, like I did when she was a little girl." Castle explained.

"Castle, you can't turn off being a parent - and I would never want you to. It's one of the things that makes you, you. But I can give you something else to think about. We were talking about what I could do to you when you're awake," Kate suggested with a playful grin.

With strong hands just below her waist, Castle pulled Kate against him. "I remember."

Alexis was up early, making coffee. The smell beckoned Castle and Beckett to the kitchen, where Alexis had set out cups for them. "I think I'm really going to enjoy having you home," Castle said, taking an appreciative sip of the rich liquid.

"That's good," Alexis answered, "because we have a lot of stuff to pack up this morning. I'll need my clothes and my books. I don't know what we'll do with the furniture."

"Why don't you see what happens? If you can sublet the place, some other starving student might want it. If not, you might want to call the Salvation Army or Good Will to come get it, or you can just put it out and see who takes it. I seem to recall," Castle said with an internal shudder, "you and Pi dumpster dived for your chairs."

"We did," Alexis admitted. "Can we go over soon? I have afternoon classes. Detective Beckett, do you have to go to the precinct?"

"It's Kate, Alexis," Beckett corrected, "and no. I'm just on call if we have a body. I can help."

Borrowing pieces from the extensive collection of luggage Martha kept at the loft, even while on tour, and scrounging boxes from a nearby market, Castle, Beckett, and Alexis made short work of packing up what Alexis needed. Castle made himself a packhorse, carrying things downstairs to his Mercedes, which was soon fully stuffed. He was grateful for the elevator at the loft, but still had to navigate the stairs to Alexis' room.

Alexis left for Columbia as soon as everything had been stowed, leaving Castle wearily rubbing his back. "I'm getting too old for this," Castle complained to Beckett.

"Well, you do have a daughter in college," Beckett replied.

"Thanks," Castle quipped. "That makes me feel so much better."

"Maybe there's something else I can do," Beckett suggested, running her hands over the soreness. Beckett got her yoga mat and laid it out on the floor. "Take off your shirt and lie down," she instructed Castle.

Castle lifted one eyebrow. "I think I like where this is going," he commented, doing as Beckett had requested.

Beckett ran some warm water on her hands and dried them on a towel, making for a perfect comforting touch. Kneeling next to Castle, she began to massage his shoulders, working her way down his spine to the small of his back. "Mmm," Castle sighed. "You can stop that in about a hundred years."

Beckett felt the knotted muscles relax beneath her strong fingers. "How do you feel now?" she asked.

Castle rolled over and reached for her. "Younger every minute."

A/N I'm fast running out of season six, at least for now. I'll be looking at some more vintage episodes for a while, then I'll come back to work with whatever Andrew has in store. It should be interesting.


	49. Chapter 49

Moment in Time

Recoil

"Considering what Bracken's capable of, you would think he have more formidable enemies," Castle commented, looking at a stack of letters he'd examined.

"Oh, obviously you never saw the letter I sent him," Beckett quipped.

Castle smiled. "No, I did actually. I liked the way you dotted the 'I' in kill with a little heart. It was a nice touch."

Beckett returned the smile. "Well I was trying to give it a personal feel."

"Well done," Castle congratulated her.

"Yeah," Beckett agreed.

Their smiles faded as a tense silence grew between them. "So we're really not going to talk about this?" Castle asked.

Beckett shrugged. "Castle, what is there to talk about?"

"Honestly? Practically everything," Castle responded.

"Which is why all I can do is treat it like another case," Beckett returned, "because that's what it is." Beckett's eyes widened as she examined another letter. She immediately shoved it back in its envelope as Castle rolled his shoulders in fatigue.

Castle caught the expression on Kate's face. "Something?" he asked.

Kate hurriedly pushed the letter aside. "Nothing. Look Castle, you're tired. Why don't you go home?"

"Kate, whenever you say 'nothing,' it's something, and I'm no more tired than you are. If I'm leaving, you should too."

Kate pulled the letter out again, holding it against the writing in the notebook. Castle looked on. "It's a match," he said.

Kate nodded slowly.

"What do you want to do about it?" Castle asked.

"I know what I _should_ do," Kate answered. "I should follow it as evidence. From the postmark, it comes from somewhere in New Jersey."

"But what _are_ you going to do?" Castle asked.

"I don't know, Castle."

"Why don't we go back to the loft and you can think about it," Castle proposed. "You know I'm behind you, whatever you decide, but after all he's done to you, if someone shoots Bracken, I'm not shedding any tears. I'm opening champagne, expensive champagne."

"I know, Castle. Let's go," Kate said, shoving the letter in her pocket.

Despite the excellent heating system, the loft seemed to have a chill. Castle quickly lit a fire. "You want some wine?" he asked Kate.

"How about something harder?" she asked.

Castle nodded silently, pouring scotches for the two them. Castle stretched out on the couch with Kate in his arms. "Can you talk to me now?" he asked.

Beckett closed her eyes and sighed. "Castle, I know in my gut that this letter could be our big break. One way or another it could lead us straight to our killer."

"But we're talking about it."

"If we find this man, this shooter, Bracken is going to escape justice. I'd be letting my mother down. I don't know if I can live with that, Castle."

"Kate, no one else knows about the letter. No one has to know. You've faced things like this before. You let Joe and Vera go. You could burn that letter right now. No one would know except you and me. You could let things take their course. Bracken would be dead. I know I'd sleep better at night knowing he wouldn't be sending anyone after you. Wouldn't you?"

"Castle, I just don't know. It feels like there's no right choice. It would be so easy to destroy the letter. I think I'd enjoy watching it burn. I'd certainly enjoy not having to look over my shoulder all the time. But I don't know if I could live with that choice. I'm a cop. Everything about me is a cop. If I don't act like one, I won't know who I am anymore. But if I let my mother's killer get away, it seems like I'll lose myself just as much."

Kate rose, pulling out the letter. She held it in her hands, staring at the flames. Castle wrapped his arms around her from behind and she closed her eyes leaning against him, feeling the warmth of the fire and the warmth from his body suffuse her. She stood suspended in the moment.

"Kate," Castle murmured softly. "You don't have to decide this minute. Sometimes things are clearer in the morning. If you decide to turn the letter over as evidence, you can do it then. Castle released her and offered his hand. Kate entwined her fingers with his.

Kate was stiff in Castle's arms. "You're not going to sleep, are you?" he asked. "You're going to lie there all night thinking about the letter. That's not going to solve anything."

"I'm sorry, Castle, I just can't help it. I close my eyes and I can see it, every word."

Castle turned Kate to him, gently brushing the hair from her face. "Maybe I can help." He kisses were feather soft on her face, meant to comfort. As he moved downward finding the moist darkness of her lips, the velvet of the notch of her neck, a spark ignited. Kate cupped the back of his head, plunging her fingers into his hair. He drew her closer. Their touches were gentle, yet tipped with fire. Intimate joining was natural and inevitable. When the waves of completion had ebbed, Kate was finally able to sleep in Castle's embrace.

Castle opened his eyes. Beckett was already sitting up, fully awake. "Have you decided?" he asked.

Beckett nodded.

At the 12th, Beckett and Castle approached Ryan and Esposito as Esposito was on the phone. "Hey you guys," Beckett began, "there's something I have to..."

"Yo, I just heard back from CSU on the duffle bag," Esposito said, hanging up.

"They get a print off that smudge?" Ryan asked.

"No, but it contained traces of synthetic oil and brake pad residue," Esposito reported.

"Sounds like our guy's a mechanic." Castle put in.

"So maybe he was shopping for that rifle near work," Beckett suggested. "Where was that store, again?"

"Patterson, just off the highway," Ryan answered.

"That's the place to start," Esposito said.

"All right, I'm going to get you guys addresses on your way," Beckett told them. "I'll compile a list of every service station within a five mile radius. We'll expand it from there."

"You were going to tell them, weren't you?" Castle asked softly as Ryan and Esposito headed for the door.

"It doesn't matter now," Beckett told him. "We're past it."

Castle gazed at the determined grit in Kate's eyes. "You know you really are remarkable."

A/N I liked the idea of Kate talking things out with Castle instead of Burke. I got a couple of story requests yesterday, I'll be working on them. I love getting the input!


	50. Chapter 50

Moment in Time

The Fifth Bullet

"How could I have missed this!" Castle exclaimed re-examining the contents of J's pockets.

"Missed what?" Beckett asked.

"Do you know what this is?" Castle asked, holding up a crumpled piece of plastic.

"Yeah," Ryan answered. "It's a grocery bag."

"No," Castle explained excitedly, "it's not just a grocery bag. It's the bag that's gonna tell us exactly who 'J' is."

"Why are you dragging me back to the art gallery?" Beckett asked.

"Not to the art gallery, to the street in front of it. Ah, it's gone!"

"What's gone?"

"The dog," Castle answered impatiently. "That's why he had the bag, to clean up after his dog."

"Castle, how do you know it was_ his _dog?"

Castle shook his head in frustration. "Well why else would he have a bag? Why else would a dog be tied up outside a commercial building after midnight? Maybe someone stole it."

Beckett pulled out her cell phone. "Get me Animal Control."

Castle was in his glory as he spotted a familiar furry face at the animal shelter. "Aw, who's a good girl?"

"That one's from 148 West 26th," the attendant said.

"That's Fink's gallery," Beckett noted.

Castle checked the dog's name tag. "Good girl, Lucy," he crooned, petting her head. "Beckett, she belongs to a Jeremy Preswick."

"Great, Castle, let's go and check it out," Beckett said moving away from the cage.

"Beckett, we can't just leave her here," Castle protested.

"What are you suggesting, Castle?"

"We get Lucy out of doggy jail. We could take her back to the precinct."

"Castle," Beckett told him sternly. "there is no we. If you want to take the dog, fine. You're responsible for her. Leave me out of it."

"Fine," Castle answered.

"You need to fill out some paperwork and pay some fees," the attendant informed Castle."

"Whatever Lucy needs," Castle replied as Lucy licked his face.

"Castle, you do what you want to do, I'm going back to the precinct to see if Lucy really does belong to 'J'. If she does, you can bring her in. Maybe it will jog his memory I'll let you know.

Castle, having come in Beckett's car and unable to put Lucy in a cab, called Martha to grab his Mercedes and meet him at the shelter. After dropping his mother at the theater, he and Lucy set out to pick up what Castle thought of as essentials. Castle led Lucy up and down the aisles of the pet store, picking up food, toys, a dog bed and anything else that caught Castle's eye. The purchases filled most of a cart. He was about to return to the loft when Beckett called to tell him that 'J' was indeed Jeremy Preswick and ask him to bring Lucy to the 12th.

Lucy practically dragged Castle to her master, but despite the dog's loving greeting, no memories were stirred. "I have his ex-wife, Emma Carnes coming in to tell us about Jeremy," Beckett told Castle, "but she can't make it until later. What are you going to do with the dog?"

"Can't she stay?" Castle asked. "I have all her stuff in the car. I can bring it in. We can put her bed in the corner. She won't be any trouble."

"Yeah, I bet," Beckett told him. "All right Castle, but I better not find any doggy lakes in here and if anyone steps in something …."

"Understood," Castle answered.

Castle and Lucy headed for the door of the precinct. "Hey Beckett, he called, "you want to go for a walk? It'd be fun."

"Castle," Beckett answered, "some of us have actual work to do."

"So take a break!" Castle suggested. "I'll buy you ice cream."

"Castle, no."

"A hot dog?"

"No."

"Ice cream and a hot dog?" Castle persisted.

Beckett began to smile despite herself. "You're not going to quit, are you Castle?"

"Nope. I'll throw in a pretzel."

"With mustard?" Beckett asked.

"Ah, a true New York girl. Yes, a pretzel with mustard."

"Okay Castle, I guess with all of that I can call it taking lunch."

Leading Castle, with Beckett alongside, Lucy followed a trail of canine scents to a grassy area in a nearby park, where dogs were allowed off the leash. She frolicked with a couple of happily barking park patrons until they were retrieved by their owners, then looked sadly at Castle, who withdrew a Frisbee from his coat. "Three way, Beckett?" Castle asked, drawing a Beckett look. "I meant three way with the Frisbee, you me and Lucy."

"Okay, Castle."

The Frisbee flew. Beckett and Lucy were adept and Castle was enthusiastic." They took a rest as Castle made the rounds of the vendors. He was happy to find one that actually carried doggy sundaes, so that Lucy could enjoy a treat while he and Beckett ate. After the food, Castle smiled as he saw Beckett absently stroking Lucy's fur before getting down on the grass to give the dog a belly rub. By the time Beckett finished, she was Lucy's new best friend and Castle felt a twinge of jealousy. He made sure that he was holding the leash for the walk back to the 12th.

"Admit it, Beckett, you had fun," Castle teased Beckett as they retraced their route to the precinct.

"You're right, Castle. I had fun - with Lucy. I don't know what you were along for."

"Ouch!" Castle replied. "Last time I buy you a pretzel. Think you'd ever want a dog?"

"I don't know, Castle. You know the hours I work. I think a dog would get lonely. It would be nice to have someone warm and loving to come home to, though," she said, gazing at Castle from beneath her lashes."

Castle gazed back and Beckett hastily looked away. They continued their walk in silence. Upon their return to the 12th, Lucy curled up contentedly in her bed. Castle sat on the floor with his back against a wall, her fur warm under his hands. The eyes of both had begun to droop as Emma Carnes entered the room and Lucy bounded to meet her.

Castle watched the happy reunion as Lucy licked her former mistress' face. With Lucy at her side, Emma went to greet her ex-husband. Suddenly very lonely, Castle watched them go.

A/N This was second season, before Suckerpunch, and Beckett was still pretty prickly toward Castle. If it had been this season, she could have had two warm bodies to cuddle. Yeah, yeah, we know. It was complicated.


	51. Chapter 51

Moment in Time

Cops and Robbers

Although rapidly settling on every surface, the dust from the explosion in the bank still hung thick in the air. "Castle!" Beckett called, shining a spotlight ahead of her.

"Beckett!" a voice came weakly from the rear of the bank. Beckett ran toward the sound. The hostages were in a cage that surrounded the vault. Their hands were restrained by plastic ties and they appeared to have been flung against the wall by the shock wave from the blast. Many were coughing as the dust clogged their lungs.

"They're here!" Beckett shouted. Her eyes searched for Castle. Spotting him against a wall at the front of the group, she ran to the cage and pulled it open. Beckett gazed at Castle, relief and unrealized love shining in her eyes. "How are you?" she asked crouching in front of him.

Castle coughed, trying to get out an answer. "Beckett, go check Simone! She's pregnant!"

"I'll be back, Castle," Beckett said, quickly brushing some grit from his face before looking for the teller. Two of the other hostages pointed with their bound hands to a woman obviously well along. She lay on the floor in obvious distress. "Are you having contractions?" Beckett asked.

Simone nodded. Beckett signaled to approaching EMTs, waving them over and returned to Castle. "My mother," he choked out.

"I'm fine," Martha said. "Richard was closer to the explosion. He shielded me from it."

Beckett cut the ties on both of them, as EMTs and police entered the cage. "Castle, Can you get up?" Beckett asked.

Coughing again, Castle nodded, rising slowly, with one hand on the wall for support. Beckett held him under one elbow, taking a good deal of his weight. As they moved away from the wall, Martha took his other arm. While they were making their way slowly to the steps of the bank, more EMTs approached, offering oxygen. "Richard," Martha intoned sternly as Castle shook his head.

"Take it Castle," Beckett told him, "it'll make you feel better."

Castle spotted Alexis ducking under the yellow tape, to get to him and Martha, "I just want to talk to Alexis first."

Battered by the force of the blast, Castle winced slightly as Alexis threw her arms around him. I'm all right, I'm all right," he rasped.

Alexis freed up an arm to hug her grandmother. Beckett smiled at the family tableau, but wasn't sure how much longer Castle would be standing up. "Castle, let's get you sitting down," she suggested, motioning for an EMT to follow. Coughing heavily as he sat on a gurney, Castle accepted the proffered breathing mask. Martha and Alexis sat on either side of him as Beckett watched him take in air.

"Yo!" Esposito called as he and Ryan approached the group. Beckett hesitantly went to join them.

"Is everyone all right?" Ryan asked.

"Everyone's alive," Beckett answered. "The bank teller may be in labor and some of the hostages got thrown around and breathed a lot of dust. I think Castle may have gotten the worst of that, but he's being taken care of. Where are we on Agnes Fields' last surviving relative?"

"Former son-in-law Ron Brandt," Ryan told her. "Left a message, but he does a lot of business overseas. He might not even be in the country." Ryan pulled up a picture of Brandt's driver's license on his phone. "He's listed in a penthouse on the upper east side, so we can go check there..."

'Wait," Beckett interrupted, looking at the image on Ryan's phone. "That's the son-in-law?"

"Yeah, why?" Ryan asked.

"That was one of the hostages. He was having a seizure and that's how Castle got the note to me about the C-4. Oh God!"

Beckett had a brief conversation with the hospital. "He checked himself out against medical advice," she reported. "He's gone. He orchestrated this whole thing."

Beckett rushed back to Castle, who, now minus the oxygen mask and although still pale and covered in dust, was looking a little better. "Castle, it was that hostage, Sal Martino. His real name is Ron Brandt. He's behind this. We're going back to the precinct to figure it out, she said, indicating Ryan and Esposito. You should go to the hospital."

"No way!" Castle retorted. "I've been in this from the beginning. I talked to Ron. I can help you."

Martha looked at Beckett and shrugged. Castle followed Beckett while Martha reached over to squeeze Alexis' hand.

Beckett, and Esposito stood in front of the murder board while Castle sat on a desk. "It turns out that Ron Brandt runs a company that supplies military contracts with special operational forces from around the world," Esposito explained.

Castle picked up the thread. "So he uses his connections to hire the mercenaries in the bank and then to avoid loose ends, he rigs the C-4 to blow early."

"Cold," Esposito commented.

"Why would he do all that just to get at his former mother-in-law's safe deposit box?" Beckett asked."

"Wait," Castle said, "_former_ mother-in-law?"

"Yeah," Esposito answered. "Ron was married to Tanya, Agnes' daughter. She and their son Connor were killed in a boating accident about a year ago."

"That can't be right," Castle protested. "Ron spoke about Connor like he's alive."

"I don't know what to tell you, bro," Esposito answered. "Says here, Connor's dead."

"I'm not so sure about that," Ryan said, coming to the board. "Neither Tanya nor Connor's body was ever recovered."

"Why would Tanya fake their deaths?" Castle asked.

"Domestic abuse," Ryan answered, showing pictures of a badly beaten Tanya. "Ron had the connections to avoid prosecution."

Castle stared at the pictures shaking his head. "The system failed her. She had no choice but to fake her death and Connor's and disappear. But she couldn't completely break ties with her family. That's what the safety deposit box was for. It was a safe drop, like in a spy novel, only Tanya couldn't risk making the drops herself, so she uses a mystery man, someone who could impersonate Gideon Fields," Castle speculated until his excitement was quashed by another coughing fit.

"I think I have an idea who," Ryan said. "A Father McCaskey from St. Abigail's Church officiated at the funeral. Agnes had been making regular payments to St. Abigail's."

"We should go see him," Castle said.

"Castle, look at you," Beckett told him. "You're not going to see anyone. Besides it's faster to call him."

"Yo should do it, bro," Esposito suggested to Ryan. "Use that twelve years of Catholic school you're always talking about."

Ryan hung up the phone. "Father McCaskey says Tanya and Connor live at 14 Caskadilla Street in Ithaca."

Castle looked at his watch. "Ithaca? That's only four hours away. Ron could be there by now!"

Beckett picked up her phone to call the Ithaca police. Castle, Beckett, Ryan and Esposito waited tensely around Beckett's desk to hear any news from Ithaca. After a time that seemed interminable, Beckett's phone rang. "They got him!" Beckett reported. "Tanya's going to need a few stitches but she and Connor are okay." Castle balled his fists and looked skyward in thanks.

"Let's go pick him up!" Esposito said, turning towards the elevator.

Halfway to the door, Ryan asked, "Ithaca?"

Castle leaned over Beckett's desk from his chair. "You know, Beckett, even when I'm a hostage, I help you to solve crimes. I think you've got the perfect partner."

"Except he doesn't like to do paperwork," Beckett teased.

"Touche," Castle responded, starting to cough again.

"Well partner," Beckett told him, "perfect or not, I'm taking you home."

"Beckett, thank you for looking out for me."

"No problem, Castle. That's what partners do,"

A/N This was for Larry. Yesterday's chapter was a request as well. Tomorrow's may be too, if I can figure out how to do it. It is a blast hearing ideas. Thanks!


	52. Chapter 52

Moment in Time

Rise

From the Journal of James Beckett

Dear Johanna,

What I've feared for so long has happened. Our little girl's been shot. The bullet nicked her heart, which stopped in the ambulance and again during surgery. She's alive now, but they're watching carefully. I tried to keep this from happening. She's been investigating your murder and whoever was responsible turned their guns first on Roy Montgomery and then on her. I tried to get her to pull back. I even asked Richard Castle to help. She wouldn't listen to him either. He tackled her when the gun went off, but it was too late. I can see that he loves her. His eyes never leave her. I'm pretty sure she loves him too, she's just scared to admit it. Dear God, I hope she lives to get the chance. I'm going back to see her now. I'm hoping for good news. I really want a drink, but I'm holding on. I can't stand the thought of her opening her eyes to see me drunk, but I can feel you with me, and it helps.

Forever love,

JB

Dear Johanna,

Katie's awake. It looks like she'll be all right, although she still looks like death warmed over. Her boyfriend Josh has been spending a lot of time with her. That's a rarity. He's usually out of town on some medical mission or on shift at the hospital. I think that she likes that he wants to save the world but she likes the space his absence gives her even more. Maybe that's why she's so afraid to express her feelings for Castle. I think he'd be by her side constantly, if she'd let him. I don't think she can handle having someone give their heart to her that completely, at least not now. That breaks my heart. You and I gave our love to each other without holding back. Even though it nearly destroyed me to lose you, I could never regret that kind of love and I wish it for our daughter. Whether with Castle or someone else, I fervently hope she'll find it one day, and I don't see it happening with Josh.

Forever love,

JB

Dear Johanna,

Katie broke up with Josh. I can't say I'm sorry, but I don't want her to be alone either. For some reason she isn't talking to Castle or any of her friends at the precinct. She seems to be pushing everyone away. She's asked me to take her up to my cabin for her recovery. I'm not sure that the middle of nowhere is the best place for her, but it's what she wants and you know Katie. She wants what she wants. I'll look in on her whenever I can. I've asked some of the neighbors on the lake to look in on her too. That's the best I can do for now.

Forever Love,

JB

Dear Johanna,

I heard from some of Katie's friends at the precinct that the new captain has kicked Castle out. I don't know how much difference it makes since she has pushed him away so completely. I ran into him one day when I was picking up some paperwork for Katie and I could see the hurt in his eyes. I really think he could be the one for her, if she'd give it a chance, but she doesn't seem inclined to do so. She should be back in the city soon. She's starting physical therapy and she has to have a psychological evaluation to be allowed back to work. I almost hope she fails it. I think having to talk to someone for a while would be good for her. I hope whomever she sees is good. I know she's scared. She has the same look she had as a little girl when she was afraid of a spider or a snake and just wouldn't admit it. It was cute then. It might be dangerous now. I wonder what will happen the next time someone points a gun at her. Katie insists that she doesn't remember the shooting. I'm not sure I believe her. There is something haunting her and I don't know what it is. I hope that she'll feel safe enough to tell me soon.

Forever love,

JB

Dear Johanna,

Katie is back to work. From what I hear from the precinct, she seems to have reached some kind of understanding with Castle. Apparently Castle got the mayor to pressure the new captain to let Castle back to shadow Katie. The other detectives were laughing about what Castle did. They don't like the new captain much. She came from Internal Affairs and that is never popular. Katie is still in physical therapy. It will take her a while to get back to 100%, longer than she'd like, I'm sure. Obviously she passed her psych evaluation, but she let it drop that she's still seeing a therapist. I'm really glad that she is. She is wound so tightly that I can see the tension in her. I hope it can be unwound before she snaps. When you deny your feelings as much as she does, sooner or later something is going to give. I know that I and her friends, especially Castle will be there for her, if she lets us. I saw her with Castle again. He still has the same look in his eyes, although there's a little hurt mixed in with it. He still loves her, no matter how hard she pushed him away. I hope Katie does something about it before it's too late. I can see love in her eyes too, in unguarded moments. In so many ways they are like we were. They finish each others' sentences. They think the same thoughts. They even walk in rhythm. It would be a terrible thing to see Katie throw that away out of fear.

As much as I'm glad for Katie, that she can be back to work, I worry about her. That shooter is still out there and from what I understand, every effort to catch him has hit a wall. Every day I live in fear of a phone call. My solace is that I know that if there is the slightest clue, every cop in the city will be all over it. If there is any way, watch over our girl. She's not as tough as she thinks she is.

Forever Love,

JB

A/N I had a request to tell a story from another character's point of view. We haven't been inside Jim Beckett's head much, so I thought this would be interesting. His insight into both Kate and Castle, what we've seen of it, has been excellent.


	53. Chapter 53

Moment in Time

Law and Murder

"So," Castle asked, "plans with Josh tonight?"

"No," Beckett replied, "he's on shift. I was thinking of sneaking off to the Angelica. Forbidden Planet's playing."

"Forbidden Planet, is that the one with the robot?" Castle asked, pretending to have never seen the movie.

The usually astute Beckett was fooled. "You've never seen Forbidden Planet?" she asked with surprise.

"More of a Star Wars, Matrix guy myself," Castle lied.

"Oh, my gosh, Castle, this is the movie that inspired those two. That's it! I'm taking you, my treat," Beckett insisted, much to Castle's delight.

"Oh, no, no - I have plans," Castle protested, continuing his subterfuge.

"Nope," Beckett told him. "Not anymore."

A grinning Castle followed Beckett to the elevator. "Alright," he asked, "well, can I have candy _and_ popcorn?"

"Sure," Beckett assured him. "Oh Castle, you're gonna love this. This is Leslie Nielsen before he became a comic genius."

"Really?" Castle asked, continuing his charade.

"Yeah," Beckett answered.

"Can we stop at Remy's for burgers after?" Castle asked hopefully."

"Now you're pushing it," Beckett informed him.

Castle and Beckett sat in the darkened theater. The crowd was thin, with the nearest patron rows away, so Castle felt free to pester Beckett. "Wow!" he said, "that guy playing 'Doc,' he played an alien on Star Trek. Captain Kirk got it on with his girlfriend."

"I remember the episode, Castle," Beckett replied impatiently.

Ignoring the tone of Beckett's voice, Castle continued. "Yeah, I think it was the one where the fans got all excited because Kirk was putting his boots back on and the implication was obvious. That was racy stuff in the '60's. I guess this movie was racy stuff in the '50's. Look at the length of Anne Francis' skirt! Just like Lieutenant Uhura and Yeoman Rand. "

"That's what you're looking at, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"Boys will be boys," Castle answered. "But look, the guy playing the navigator, he was in 'Maverick' and on 'Sale of the Century', and the guy playing the cook, he was in 'Visit to a Small Planet,' before he played Angie Dickinson's partner on 'Policewoman.'"

"Castle, I don't know how you ever get anything done with all the TV and movies you watch," Beckett told him exasperatedly.

"It's all inspiration," Castle informed her.

"I thought I was your muse," Beckett argued.

"You are," Castle told her, "but you don't have a space ship. Your legs do beat vintage Angie Dickinson's hands down, though."

"Thank you," Beckett replied dryly, "but can you just shut up and enjoy the movie for a while?"

"Okay," Castle agreed petulantly, but he couldn't stay quiet for long. "Ooooh," he said looking at the underground Krell machine complex, "this scene was ripped off for 'Babylon Five'"

"Castle," Beckett warned.

Castle couldn't resist. He watched as "Doc" put the alien educator on his head. "They stole this scene for the Star Trek episode, 'Spock's Brain.' McCoy used a thing called 'the teacher' to learn how to to put Spock's brain back in his head. McCoy didn't die, though."

"That's it!" Beckett exclaimed, grabbing Castle's popcorn and dumping it over his head. "If you say another word, I'm pulling out my gun!"

Castle brushed the kernels from his hair, glad that they hadn't been coated with "butter flavoring." He managed to sit quietly through the rest of the movie. "You got salt in my eyes," he complained as the lights came up.

"I'm sorry, Castle," Beckett apologized.

"And I didn't get to finish my popcorn," Castle continued. "Now we have to go to Remy's."

"No." Beckett replied, with annoyance.

"Hey," Castle cajoled. "It was my fault. I made you mad. I'll pay. I'll buy you a strawberry shake."

Beckett softened at the mention of her guilty pleasure. "Okay, Castle."

Castle stared at Beckett's lips as she labored to get her thick shake through her straw. He took a large bite of his cheeseburger to quash the fantasy growing in his head. He could see Kate in Altaira's dress, kissing him, as she had Captain J.J. Adams in the movie. He began to cough as the meat caught in in throat. "You okay, Castle?" Beckett asked.

Tears were leaking from Castle's eyes, but he nodded.

"You're supposed to eat that thing, not inhale it," Beckett told him. "What were you thinking? More sci fi trivia?"

"Believe me, Beckett," Castle assured her. "You don't want to know."

* * *

Alexis stared intently at the screen of her laptop. "Whatcha lookin' at?" Castle asked.

"It's a website called 'The Mad and the Macabre," Alexis answered. "There's a blurb here about you. I guess you found someone to see Forbidden Planet with."

"Huh!" Castle exclaimed. "Let me see that." Castle began to read over Alexis' shoulder.

_Making a pilgrimage to the Angelica to see "Forbidden Planet" this week, I was pleased to see best-selling author, master of the macabre, and general hottie, Richard Castle. Castle is a regular visitor to the Angelica, usually with his daughter Alexis, but this time he was in the company of NYPD detective Kate Beckett, the model for Nikki Heat. Although I didn't see any hand holding or kissy face, the couple appeared to be having a very lively time. I wasn't close enough to hear the conversation, but Castle appeared to be bombarding Beckett with questions, although I can't imagine why she would know more about the movie than he does. He is quite an aficionado of science fiction movies. Still they seemed to be having so much fun, it was a blast to watch them, especially when Detective Beckett dumped popcorn over Castle's head. I wonder what that was about? Anyway, I'd look at him anytime, with or without popcorn. Hey Castle, you wouldn't be falling for the pretty detective, would you? You'll break a lot of fangirls' hearts, maybe mine. - Space Princess_

"Dad, did Beckett really dump popcorn on your head?" Alexis asked.

"She did, but she could do a lot worse if she sees this."

"Why?" Alexis asked.

"She threatened to pull out her gun," Castle answered, "and I'm afraid if she sees this, she actually will."

Alexis just shook her head.

A/N What kind of a geek am I? Aside from double checking the plot of "Forbidden Planet," I knew all this stuff. No wonder I love Castle! If I were younger, 13 inches taller, had blue eyes, was good looking, and a guy, we could be twins! BTW, thanks for the comments on my last chapter. You rock!


	54. Chapter 54

Moment in Time

The Blue Butterfly

"We don't know how to thank you," Joe said.

"I do," Castle told him. "Just answer two questions. One, if you had the Blue Butterfly, why didn't you take it? And two, where has it been all this time?"

"If you really want to know the whole story," Joe told Castle, "I have something for you." Joe got up and rummaged in a drawer. He returned with a thin, hard cover notebook. "This is a journal I kept after Vera and I escaped. You can have it. I remember every moment."

Castle took the book, his eyes widening as he flipped through the pages. "Thank you - Jerry," he said.

Joe and Vera, tears still glistening in their eyes, smiled as Castle and Beckett left.

* * *

Castle put his feet up on his desk, with glass of scotch at ready. With mental images of himself as Joe and Kate as Vera, he began to read.

_The heat from the blazing car blasted our faces. Vera tore at the Butterfly as if it was singeing her sweet cream skin. "Joe, this thing really is cursed," she told me._

_I couldn't see it. "Vera, that thing is just fancy rocks on a pretty rope," I told her._

_She wasn't about to give. "No it's more than that, it's misery, Joe. We can't." She tore the thing from her neck, about to toss it away, but I had another idea. I had no love for the thing, but I was damned if I'd let Tom Dempsey get his hands on it. I'd leave it under Dempsey's nose but where he's never find it. The brick that was knocked loose by my head when Dempsey's two goons tried to beat me bloody made a perfect hideaway for the sparkly stash. That pretty bug would hide in my hankie there until the building came down._

_As the flames rose over Sally and Leo, Vera melted in my arms, but we had to get away. Without the bauble, we were flat broke, but Vera had an idea. She still had the fur that Dempsey had used to decorate her. We grabbed it from her place before anyone came looking. The pawnbroker was tightfisted, but we had enough for a stake._

_To the world, Vera and Joe were dead. We needed new monikers. We had enough green so that no joints asked questions about Mr. and Mrs. Jones. I hated seeing my doll in those fleabags, but Vera never squawked. Finally we got a break, by way of a banner headline. Dempsey was dead and the Pennybaker club died with him. I figured no one would give a damn about a bartender, so I called myself Jerry Maddox, and Vera latched on to Viola. The Justice of the Peace where we got hitched, didn't wink an eye._

_I never went back on the sauce, which made me an ace behind the bar. I was working in a joint called Blue Sun when Vera gave me the news, we were going to have a kid. Flying shrapnel never made me shake so much. That kid needed a future. I hung onto every dime that came my way. When Jimmy popped out, Vera and I were on the way to having a joint of our own. By the time Lois joined Jimmy, we had scraped enough together to open Club JV. We kept everything together with an apartment upstairs. Vera still knocked men out and they would come to the place just to take a gander at her. I just kept pouring. My doll had to stop for a while when Jonesie decided to enter the picture, but by that time our crowd was pretty solid. We got a songbird to tweet for us and had to add more tables. Vera also added Eddie._

Castle flexed his neck and shoulders, which had grown stiff as he read. Visions swam before his eyes of Kate with children, their children. He shook the images away and drained what remained in his glass. Unlike Vera, Kate was still in danger, with no end in sight. He couldn't even think of a life with Kate like Vera had with Joe, until that danger was past. Castle closed the book, poured and quickly drank another scotch and headed for bed.

* * *

As Castle warmed his hands around his morning coffee, he could feel the tug of the journal, calling him to read more.

_The smell of smoke woke me and I rushed to get Vera and the kids out. We never found out what started the fire, maybe a butt that still had some life in it. The cause wouldn't change squat.. Club JV, our apartment, all up in smoke. The insurance company held on tight, only parting with enough green to barely put a roof over our heads. Vera and I were starting from flat again. We took over managing the joint of a guy who liked to spend his winters in Florida. I poured the drinks and Vera did the rest. With four kids to take care of, our stake didn't grow fast, but we got by. _

_Jimmy was old enough to help out and history repeated itself. One day the sight of a doll walking in hit him with the same ton of bricks that bashed my head in when I saw Vera. Her name was Sophie. Her father almost bust a gut, but she and Jimmy were married a month later. They had even less than Vera and I started with. What they called an apartment, most guys would call a closet. But they were happy. They looked at each other the same way Vera and I did. That was worth more than any pile of green._

Castle scanned through the remaining pages. Joe hadn't written much after Jimmy was married, but there were marriages for Lois, Jonesie, and Eddie, the births of grandchildren and great grandchildren. There were illnesses, one in which Vera had almost died. Castle shuddered in sympathy, as the sight of the life draining out of Kate flashed before his eyes. One grandchild had been lost, another source of pain. Whatever happened, it was clear from every page that love had gotten Joe and Vera through. Castle closed his eyes, once again seeing himself and Kate as Joe and Vera. He could only hope that some day their love could pull them through as well.

Castle picked up his jacket to bring the journal back to Joe. No one should ever let go of memories that precious.

A/N This was another request. I hope it added to an already wonderful story. Greetings to all my fellow geeks.


	55. Chapter 55

Moment in Time

The Final Frontier

Sweat rolled down Kate's face under her mask. Despite the fun she had torturing Castle, it might not have been the best idea to watch a Nebula Nine Marathon with this thing on her face. Not only was it uncomfortable, but Castle got to hog all the popcorn and M&Ms. She hit the pause button. "Oh Castle," she purred.

"I'm not kissing that thing, Beckett," Castle declared.

"How about this thing?" She asked, pulling off the monstrous face.

"That's more like it," Castle said, pulling her to him. "But you know," he added, stopping just short of her lips, "It would be better with the Lieutenant Chloe makeup and maybe if you braided your hair like in that picture of you. That was hot!"

"Are you kidding me, Castle?"

Castle smoothed away some wetness from her face with his fingertips. "Ah, you still have things to learn from the master." He drew her to him again for a deep if salty kiss.

Kate returned the kiss, kicking off the exotic plastic heels and drawing her feet up on the couch. The DVR symbol began to swim on the screen as the player maintained pause mode. Rick and Kate didn't even notice, as they drew closer together. Rick was happy to bury his fingers in Kate's unbraided hair as she cupped the back of his head with her hand. "Definitely not losing your hair," she whispered.

"You either," Castle murmured, barely moving his lips from hers. A key clicked in the lock, shocking them apart.

"Mother," Castle exclaimed, "I thought you were at the theater tonight."

"There was a little incident," Martha explained. "The second act, where we have the sorcerer make a girl appear out of the flaming cauldron, the set caught fire."

"Is everyone okay?" Castle asked.

"Yes, fine," Martha explained. "A couple of the stagehands grabbed extinguishers and put it out, but the theater had to be evacuated because of the smoke. Also the Fire Marshall wants to do an investigation, so we'll probably be closed down for a couple of days. Tomorrow was supposed to be dark anyway, so if we're lucky, we should be able to resume later in the week. But for now, no theater."

"Mother, I'm sorry," Castle told her. "You don't know how sorry," he muttered under his breath.

"Well, carry on with - whatever you were doing," Martha told them. "I'll be upstairs."

"Kind of a mood killer," Castle commented, after Martha had made her exit.

"Oh, I don't know Castle," Kate told him. "you may have been on to something. Wait here." She picked up her shoes and headed for the bedroom. Castle pushed the play button and stuffed a large handfull of candy into his mouth.

"Castle," Kate called from the bedroom. "I'm ready."

"This better not me another mask," Castle muttered to himself as he hit stop. Kate was waiting in the doorway of the bedroom. She had re-created Chloe, with smoky eyes, a side braid and a costume that barely escaped being a long blouse. Castle pulled her inside, kicking the door shut and locking it with a reassuring thunk.

"Ready for duty, Captain," Kate announced.

"And may fortune guide your journey," Castle answered, "and mine." Castle began his voyage of discovery with the soft flesh of Kate's neck, his lips slowly working their way downward. He pulled the costume aside to reveal the lace beneath it.

Beckett's cell phone buzzed. "No! Castle exclaimed.

Beckett grabbed her phone from the dresser. "Got it!" she said. "Castle, we have another murder," she explained. "It's Gabriel Winters."

"Captain Max?" Castle asked.

"Yeah," Beckett confirmed. "They found him at his hotel."

"I guess fortune didn't guide his journey either," Castle commented grumpily.

Beckett was already reaching for her street clothes. "We should get down there."

Gabriel Winters lay on the bed in his hotel room. "I'm guessing that's the cause of death," Castle told Lanie, pointing to a large piece of metal piercing Winters' chest.

"Right," Lanie agreed. "Now here's the weird thing, I found this right next to it. She held up a leaf in an evidence bag."

"Yo," Esposito said, taking the bag from Lanie's hand. "I might know where this came from. One of people I interviewed about Annabelle's murder had leaves as part of her costume."

"Do you know how to get in touch with her?" Beckett asked.

Esposito remembered the leaf he had been given with the girl's phone number. He snorted. "I'm a detective, so yeah."

Castle, Beckett, and Ryan were gathered around the murder board. "Yo! Esposito called from across the bullpen. Leaf girl didn't do it. She has a solid alibi. Apparently she found some alien who likes to eat leaves and they were – you know – when the murder took place."

"Then why would someone leave a leaf at murder scene?" Beckett asked.

Castle stared at the pictures of the murder. "I think I know," he answered, "but this is far out even for me."

"I didn't think that was possible," Beckett commented.

"I need to see the security footage from Winters' hotel," Castle told her.

Castle pointed to the screen in the tech room which displayed a blond curly haired man. "That's him, that's our murderer," Castle said.

"Isn't that Aiden Cooper who played the pilot on that show you liked so much?" Beckett asked.

"It is," Castle confirmed. "He was in the movie too. He died in the movie with a thing through his chest, just after saying..."

"I'm a leaf on the air," Beckett finished.

"Exactly," Castle agreed. "Not only that, he had been up for the part of Captain Max in Nebula Nine when they gave it to Gabriel Winters. If there was a reboot, with Winters dead..."

"He'd get the part," Beckett finished again.

Standing behind them, Ryan and Esposito smiled at the interplay. "Go pick him up," Beckett ordered.

Aiden Cooper, in the midst of babbling wildly, had confessed to the murder multiple times on the way to the precinct. His fingerprints were also on the murder weapon and the leaf.

"Wow, two sci fi murders in one week," Castle said, as he and Beckett returned to the loft. "What's going to happen to Aiden Cooper?"

"Apparently he's a method actor to extremes. Doc Holloway said that he got so into the part of a psychopath with multiple personalities that he was playing on another show, 'Doll Mansion' or something, that he just snapped," Beckett explained. "He thought he was Captain Max and that he needed to kill the imposter. Somehow the pilot from 'Rebel Ship' got mixed in there somewhere too. He'll probably be deemed unfit to stand trial and just stay in a mental hospital."

"I'm glad mother doesn't get that far into her roles, or does she?" Castle mused. "There was that crazy grannie. Of course she died at the end of the first act."

"I don't think we have to worry about Martha committing murder, Castle," Beckett told him, "unless it's of our sex life."

"Speaking of that," Castle murmured, nibbling on her neck, "you have a role to finish."

"You think fortune will guide our journey this time, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"It didn't do too well for Captain Max," Castle replied. "How about if we go with a working franchise? Engage!"

"Captain," Beckett responded, "I'll make it so."

A/N I got the idea for this from the video of the Firefly Panel at Wizardcon in St. Louis. Alan Tudyk said that he was supposed to play the role of the captain on Castle, but they ran into scheduling problems. Too bad. It would have been hysterical.


	56. Chapter 56

Moment in Time

Vampire Weekend

"You know you still haven't told me where your fascination with murder comes from," Beckett told Castle.

"It happened during one of the times Mother was on the road when I was young," Castle began. "I think I must have been about seven. One of the drunken maniacs mother hired to take care of me, a Mrs. Munch, took me to the park, but she had her brown bag with her and wasn't really paying attention to me. I wandered off and I found a thick clump of bushes. It was fall and they were all kinds of crazy colors. There were a couple that were bright magenta. To me, that looked like an alien landscape."

"You haven't changed much," Beckett interjected.

"Anyway," Castle continued, slightly annoyed, "I decided I was on the planet Purp. I was hiding in the bushes, waiting for the planetary brigade to come rescue me from the space raiders. I saw something. There were a couple of men talking. I didn't understand the language they were speaking so I pretended it was Purpish. I called them Zap and Zip. Zap was showing Zip something on a piece of equipment. I didn't know what it was, but it had buttons and a little light on it, so I pretended that it was alien technology. They left after a little while, but I stayed in those bushes for hours hoping for some more aliens to show up. When it started to get dark, I went to find Mrs. Munch. She was asleep on a bench, still holding the bag she hid her bottle in. I woke her up and we went home, but I was hooked.

I talked her into coming back the next day. It didn't take much. She got to spend the day drinking whatever was in that bottle and really didn't have to worry about me. I'd heard her on the phone with Mother describing how much fun I'd had in the park. I guess she figured she'd found an easy gig. I found my bushes again and waited for Zap and Zip. After a while I got a little bored, so I had Griselda join me."

"Who was Griselda?" Beckett asked.

"She was the princess of planet Moros. She had great powers, appearing and disappearing at will."

"So she was an imaginary friend?"

"If you have to put it like that, yes," Castle answered. "Griselda and I hid in our secret fort on Planet Purp waiting for the planetary brigade and seeing if we could spy on the space raiders Zap and Zip. They showed up, but Griselda couldn't understand them any better than I could."

"That does make sense," Beckett put in. "It's hard for an imaginary friend to understand a language you don't speak."

"You'd be surprised," Castle told her. "My imaginary friends could do some pretty incredible things. They still do."

"That I believe," Beckett smirked. "But what does all of this have to do with your fascination with murder?"

"I'm getting to that," Castle told her. "I'm just laying the groundwork. "Griselda and I watched Zap and Zip all week to see if we could figure out what the space raiders were planning. I think I must have had a cold or an allergy or something, because on the last day my eyes were itching and my nose was stuffed up. Griselda tried to stop me, but I sneezed really loud and Zap and Zip heard me and came to the bushes to find Griselda and me. She was able to use her powers to disappear, but I was caught by the space raiders.

Zap had a hand over my mouth and was holding on to me really tightly while he talked to Zip. I guess they were trying to figure out what to do with me. I was really scared and I wasn't thinking about the planetary brigade anymore. I would have settled for the police or even Mrs. Munch, but there was no one around. Zap kept holding me and he and Zip got me out of the park and into a car. They took me to some building near the docks. It might have been an old warehouse or something. I don't know. They tied me up and put me on the floor. They still seemed to be arguing over what to do with me. Zip left for a while. Maybe he went to make a phone call. Anyway, when he came back, he pointed to me and talked to Zap some more.

I seemed to be on that floor forever. It was really cold and I had to pee really bad. I asked Zap if I could. He understood me, but seemed to think it was funny. I was lying on that floor shivering, freezing, wet, and frightened out of my mind, when another man came in. He spoke the same language that Zap and Zip did. He might have been the one that Zip called. He had an air of authority about him. Zap and Zip looked at him when he talked. He pointed at me and said something. I have no idea what it was, but it sounded dangerous and Zip and even Zap looked upset. Zip argued with him a little bit, but it looked like Zip was on the losing end.

Zap pulled out a gun and aimed it at me, but just then there was another man who came from nowhere. He was probably about six four, but to me he looked like a giant. He had a knife and jammed it from behind into Zap, Zip, and the other man. He killed them all to save me. Then he took me back to the apartment Mother and I were living in. He didn't go in. He just dropped me off. Mrs. Munch was there, with a cop. She was really angry, She thought that I had wandered off and made the whole story up because I was ashamed I'd wet my pants. She sent me to my room to change and made me stay there. Then she called Mother to have her talk to me on the phone. Mother thought I'd made the whole thing up too."

"Making things up is what you do, Castle," Beckett comforted.

Castle started to laugh. "That's right, it is."

Beckett sputtered. "Castle, I am so going to have to get you back for that."

"Fine," Castle said. "Remember the party's at nine o'clock and costumes are mandatory."

Beckett rolled her eyes and stalked off.

Castle sat for a moment beside Beckett's desk, picturing the man who had saved him. He had seen him one other time, when he was ten. The man was at the library and had handed him a copy of "Casino Royale."

A/N If Castle's language seems a bit choppy, I was thinking about him telling this as he saw it through his eyes as a seven year old. It gave it a different voice. I hope you didn't find that distracting. Tomorrow's chapter should be another request story, if I can figure out how to do it. There are about 8 days left to the Nerd HQ campaign and they are only at about 28% of their goal. If you want to help, now is the time. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist for a URL.


	57. Chapter 57

Moment in Time

The Wild Rover

"That's Jordan?" Becket asked. "That's the big secret? A defunct car company?"

"Sort of," Castle explained. "It goes back to my boarding school days. My first semester, I was in danger of flunking out. I needed an 'A' on my term paper."

"So you wrote the paper on that car company?"

Castle looked away in embarrassment. "No. Someone else did and I paid him two hundred and fifty dollars."

"Um, Castle," Beckett said, "that happened when you were a kid. I don't understand how that would change the way I see you."

Castle reluctantly met her eyes. "Because it changed how I saw myself. The teacher read the paper to the entire class as an example of great writing and I was applauded. It was the first time I was celebrated for anything and it was a fraud. I was a fraud. That's when I learned how to write and wrote, trying to be as great as everyone thought I was, trying to earn that applause. I'm still trying. To make it worse, my encouragement came from Damian Westlake and you know what he turned out to be."

"You're right, Castle," Beckett told him as a look of abject sadness appeared in his eyes "it does change the way I see you." Beckett stroked his face and smiled. "It makes me like you just a little bit more."

Castle returned her smile with one of his own, although still tinged with doubt. Beckett leaned forward to kiss him and Castle held her in his arms with a passion born of ancient desperation. He drew her against him, kissing her deeply, seeking more reassurance than her words could provide. It was not enough. "Kate," Castle whispered huskily.

"I know, Castle," Kate replied, "let's go."

Kate never left Castle's arms as they found the refuge of their bed. As the air he breathed, he needed her touch, her taste, to sustain him. He found every part of her, as she gave back both in comfort and raw heat. Sensation washed over them, melding them together for the one moment when the doubt ceased, and they sank into the night.

Kate opened her eyes. Castle was talking in his sleep again. "Doesn't love me," he murmured sadly.

"Who, Castle?" Kate asked, as he tossed around.

"Meredith, Kate." Castle answered, still deeply entrenched in uneasy slumber.

Kate wasn't sure what he meant. "Meredith doesn't love you?" she asked.

"Or Kate," Castle replied. "Meredith wanted her director, not me. Kate heard me. She knew I loved her. She was embarrassed. She lied."

Kate drew away, running her fingers through her hair. She had violated the first principle of interrogation: never ask a question if you're not willing to hear the answer. But now that she'd heard it, she needed to hear all of it.

"Castle," she called, shaking his shoulder. 'you need to wake up."

Castle came out of his dream slowly. "Kate," he asked. "What's happening? Did we get another body?"

"No," Kate told him. "You were talking again and I need to ask you about it."

"What?" Castle asked with an impending sense of dread.

"First I need to tell you something," Kate explained. "When Meredith was here, she told me that the reason you broke up was that you never shared herself with her. She said you knew everything about her and she knew nothing about you. But just now you said she wanted her director. You never told me that."

"Kate," Castle told her with chagrin, "no man wants to admit that he's been cuckolded. Meredith had an affair with her director, moved in with him in Malibu and served me with divorce papers. As to the other thing. I'm a writer. I observe things about people, learn their stories. You know that."

"I do," Kate agreed, "you figured out most of my story on our first case. But what about what she said about you not sharing yourself?"

"I don't know," Castle answered. "I may not have told her much, but she didn't really seem to be interested in listening. She wasn't around much, even before we were divorced. I was taking care of Alexis on my own. And you know what Meredith's like. When she pushes the conversation her own way, you can barely get a word in."

Kate smiled. "I noticed." Kate smile faded. "Castle, you said something else, about me."

Castle's dread returned with a crash. "What?"

"You said I lied. You said I knew you loved me, that I was embarrassed and I lied. Where did that come from?"

Castle scrubbed a hand over his face. "Wow! Do you remember when the bomb went off at the 99% demonstration?"

"Of course," Kate replied.

"You remember that there was something I was going to tell you, but Ryan interrupted."

"Yeah, later on you said it was nothing."

"It wasn't nothing. That explosion brought home to me that you can never know what can happen and that there are some things that shouldn't wait. I was going to tell you I loved you, when you weren't lying on the ground with a bullet in your chest. I believed you when you said you didn't remember the shooting. But then I saw you were interrogating the guy you thought had placed the bomb. He claimed he didn't remember anything because of trauma."

"Oh God, Castle, you were watching that?"

Castle nodded. "Do you member what you told him? You said that you were shot in the chest and that you remembered every minute of it. You would have remembered that I told you I love you."

Beckett drew an unsteady breath. "And you thought I lied to you because I was embarrassed that I didn't feel the same way?"

Castle gave another silent nod.

Beckett held his face in her hands. "Castle, you know that wasn't about you now, right? I couldn't cope with anything about my mother's death, about Roy dying for me, about my shooting. I was protecting myself. It was never about you. That's why I needed therapy. You understand that, don't you?"

Castle covered her hands with his own. "I think I do, at least with my conscious mind, but I don't think my personal demons got the message."

Kate looked at the lost look in the bluest of little boy eyes and tears began to leak from her own. She brought his face to hers. "Then we'll just have to show them."

A/N I couldn't have her say ILY because she didn't say it until "Still", but I thought this matter should be dealt with and it really never was on the show. There were just little hints in "Almost Dead" and "Always."


	58. Chapter 58

Moment in Time

A Chill Goes Through Her Veins

"Alright, so you and I are married," Castle said as Roger looked on in bewilderment.

"We are not married!" Beckett protested vehemently.

"Relax, it's just pretend," Castle told her.

"I don't want to pretend!" Beckett insisted.

"Scared you'll like it?" Castle asked with a smirk.

"Okay, if we're married, I want a divorce," Beckett spat back.

"Are you two like this all the time?" Roger asked.

"Yes," Castle and Beckett answered in synchrony.

* * *

The case solved, Beckett prepared to leave the precinct, having, against her better judgment, told Castle the story of her father's watch.

"Until tomorrow, Detective," Castle said.

"Can't you just say night?" Beckett asked.

"I'm a writer. 'Night' is boring," Castle replied. "Until tomorrow is more hopeful."

"Well I'm a cop," Beckett needlessly informed him. "Night."

Castle watched her walk away and decided to head home himself for a drink and some, as far as he was concerned, well earned rest.

* * *

The loft was unusually quiet when Castle arrived. The laser tag gear had been stowed. Alexis was studying in her room and Martha had left to do whatever the green goop she had on her face when Beckett knocked on his door, had been preparation for. Pouring a scotch, he put his feet on his desk, leaned back and closed his eyes.

Beckett slid her father's watch and her mother's ring into a box on the dresser, putting her gun in the bedside table. She heaved a sigh and sat on the edge of the bed. Castle sat beside her, leaning over to gently massage her shoulders. "Hard day?" he asked.

"Yeah," Beckett answered, "that scumbag we caught who killed his wife, he pled out to second degree murder. He could be out in fifteen years."

"And you wanted to see him sent away for life," Castle finished.

"He left three kids without a mother!" Beckett exclaimed.

"She identifies with those kids," Castle thought, but kept his peace. "Do you want a glass of wine?" he asked.

"Yeah." Beckett started to get up to follow Castle as he went to get her drink.

"Stay," Castle told her. "I'll bring it to you." Castle poured two glasses of a sparkling moscato and brought them back to the bedroom.

"Get any writing done today?" Beckett asked.

"I did, actually," Castle told her. "I started the sixth Nikki Heat book. I think I'm going to marry Nikki and Rook off."

"It makes sense," Beckett commented. "Their adventures follow ours, in a ridiculously fictionalized and totally inaccurate way."

"I can always count on you for a complement," Castle told her, "but it was the logical next step, besides the shippers have been driving me crazy, especially since it got out that you and I are married."

"And how could that have happened?" Beckett asked.

Castle rolled his eyes innocently to the sky. "Well Detective Beckett, I have no idea. Maybe someone planted a bug in the elevator."

"Sure, Castle, and I'm from Mars," Beckett retorted.

"Really?" Castle asked in mock wonder. "And in all this time I've never seen a sign. Are there antennae under here?" he asked, putting down his wine to run his fingers through her page boy. "Or maybe, some sort of strange markings. I've never really looked," Castle said as he began to undo the buttons of her blouse. "Hmmm," he mused, examining the tattoo on the swell of her left breast, "I've always thought this was a strawberry. Could it be the red planet? Do I have an alien in my bed?"

"Keep it up, Castle, and there won't be anyone in your bed except you, and you might be missing a few parts."

"And here I thought you liked it when I kept it up. All right Detective, I'll take that as a cue to go work on dinner. Maybe that will improve your mood. How about a steak, rare? Can you go for some blood other than mine?"

"That sounds good, Castle."

Castle opened a bottle of wine, red this time to go with the steak, and left it on the counter to breathe. He put two steaks on the grill of the high tech stove and started to make a salad. Beckett came into the kitchen, her blouse partially re-buttoned. Castle tried not to think about the strawberry. "Can I help?" Beckett asked.

Castle tried to pick the task most suitable to her mood. "Why don't you tear the lettuce?" he suggested.

"Castle, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Beckett, it's okay. What happened today offended your sense of justice. I get it. Especially if I get this," he quipped, taking a quick nibble at her neck.

"Dessert comes after dinner, Castle," Beckett teased.

"I may set the land record for eating a rib eye."

It didn't matter how fast Castle inhaled his steak. Beckett seemed to delight in torturing him by taking small bites, chewing fastidiously, and taking small sips of her her wine. When she was finally finished, she stuck her head in the freezer.

"What are you looking for?" Castle asked.

"Dessert," Beckett replied.

"Beckett!" Castle protested, crumpling his napkin in his hand.

"This will do," Beckett said, selecting a container of chocolate ice cream. "Your favorite, right?"

"Not tonight," Castle answered, gritting his teeth.

"We'll see," Beckett told him saucily. She grabbed a spoon and took the carton of ice cream back to the bed room. Castle followed. "Here," Beckett said, sucking a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. She brought Castle's mouth to hers, letting him taste the sweetness. She pulled away, licking her lips while Castle swallowed hard. "More?" she asked.

Castle nodded mutely. Beckett filled her mouth again, putting the ice cream on the dresser. Castle pulled her flush against his body, drawing both the taste of the frozen confection and the taste of Beckett herself, deep into his own mouth. The cold brought a rush of heat. "No more ice cream," he growled. He wanted to consume Beckett, all of Beckett. Not bothering with buttons, he pulled back her blouse, revealing the creamy white flesh that unrelentingly called to him.

"Dad!"

Castle's chair tipped over backwards as he awoke. His head cracked against the floor.

"Dad." Alexis repeated, running to help him up. "Are you all right?"

Castle nodded, rising slowly, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that to you," Alexis told him, "but you were supposed to sign my permission slip and you didn't. I need to leave for the field trip early, before you get up, so I need it now."

"My bad," Castle responded. "I should have done it when you asked me the first time."

"That would have been a first," Alexis commented. "Are you sure you're okay, Dad?"

"Fine," Castle answered, grabbing a pen. He signed the document Alexis handed him with a flourish. "All done. Have a good trip."

Alexis kissed his cheek. "I will. Good night, Dad."

"Good night, Pumpkin," Castle told her, kissing her hair.

The quiet descended once again as Alexis returned to her room. "Might as well turn in myself before I bruise anything else," Castle thought, wandering into his bedroom rubbing the small of his back and the bump on his head. Slipping off his watch, he put it on the dresser, noticing that the wooden surface was sticky. He started at the sweetness that reached his nostrils. It was the unmistakable scent of chocolate ice cream.

A/N Happy Easter to those who celebrate it.


	59. Chapter 59

Moment in Time

3XK

"You're drawn to death," Tyson told Castle."You like to be around it because it thrills you. Now where does that come from? Your own suppressed impulses? How close to death do you want to get?," Tyson asked, leaning in so close that Castle could feel the breath scorching his face.

The home ring tone of Castle's phone sounded. Jerry plucked it from the table, an evil light in his eyes as he showed Castle the image of Martha on the screen. "Don't say anything you shouldn't," Tyson warned, pointing the gun he had wrenched from an unconscious Ryan, at Castle.

Eyes glued to Tyson's face, Castle answered cautiously.

"Darling," Martha gushed, "I just wanted you to know, your conspiracy theories are completely unfounded."

"My conspiracy theories?" Castle asked, hoping for some sort of opening to transmit a message.

"Uh huh," Martha continued. "Alexis' secret admirer is Ashley, her boyfriend."

"Oh that's great," Castle responded, hoping that his lack of enthusiasm would be noticed. "Thanks."

Martha plowed ahead. "Yeah, and he's a very charming young man, so anyway, all's well that ends well."

Castle tried to think of a response.

"Richard," Martha prompted.

"I love you," Castle said, before Tyson pushed the button to end the call.

"Well I don't think there's anymore to say," Tyson told Castle. He brought down the butt of the gun on Castle's temple.

The sirens screamed as Beckett's unit led the mass of police cars pulling into the motel parking lot. Beckett flew up the steps to room 47, opening the door to the sight of Castle, blood matting his hair, bound and slumped in a chair with Ryan unconscious on the floor. "We need EMTs now, she shouted, running first to Castle, checking his neck for a pulse. Feeling the beat under her fingers, she checked Ryan as well. Ryan groaned and began to stir.

Beckett returned to Castle, blood sticky on her fingers as she examined the gash above his ear. Blood was still flowing from the wound and she grabbed a towel from the bathroom to staunch the flow. "Where are the EMTs?" she ground out between clenched teeth. The rising pitch of a siren approached, ceasing suddenly as the ambulance came to a halt.

EMTs rushed into the room, urging Beckett back."We'll take care them, one bearing a name tag reading 'Kelly,' assured her.

Ryan sat up, insisting that he was fine, an insistence largely ignored by both Beckett and the EMTs. Castle was cut free from his bonds and both men were loaded onto gurneys.

Beckett and Esposito followed the ambulances to the hospital. Beckett paced the waiting area while making the dreaded call to Martha. Esposito stood radiating anger and fiercely awaiting information. "Katherine," Martha called, rushing in with Alexis before news arrived. "How are they?"

"Martha, let's sit down," Beckett said softly. "We don't know anything yet."

"Katherine," Martha protested. "I'm not sitting down any more than you are. We're going to find out what's going on." Martha marched up to the nearest figure in scrubs in royal diva fashion and demanded information, sending the woman scurrying to find a doctor. It took about ten minutes, but she returned with an intern.

"Mrs. Rodgers?" the young man inquired. Martha swept up to him with Alexis, Beckett and Esposito close behind. "Mrs. Rodgers, your son has regained consciousness, although he's in and out. The CT scan doesn't show any signs of a bleed, and that bodes well."

"How about my partner, Detective Ryan?" Esposito asked.

"Things look good for him as well," the doctor answered. "He's sitting up and talking. You can see him."

"I want to see my son," Martha insisted firmly, her arm around Alexis.

"Actually," the intern said, looking slightly uncomfortable, "he asked to see Detective Beckett."

"Beckett!" Castle called, struggling to sit up as soon as she appeared in the doorway. "It was Tyson, it was Tyson all along."

Beckett came to his side and pushed him back gently. "We know, Castle. We figured it out when we found you and Ryan."

"How is Ryan?" Castle asked.

"He's going to be fine," Beckett answered reassuringly."

"How did you know to come to the motel?"

"Your mother called. When you told her you loved her, she knew something was wrong."

Castle started to nod and thought better of it as the room tilted. "I thought she might. Good girl."

Beckett smiled. "Speaking of Martha, I think she and Alexis are about to tear the place apart if they don't get in here to see you."

Castle returned the smile, although far below his usual wattage. "The hospital would probably send me a bill for damages. You better send them in."

Beckett found Martha and Alexis in the hall outside Castle's room and waved them in.

"Oh Richard, darling," Martha emoted, as Alexis just took her father's hand.

Castle plastered on a brighter smile. "Hey, I'm okay. Just a little bump on the head."

"From what I'm told, that bump required sixteen stitches. That's worse than when that awful boy hit you with the bat in third grade, and I can still see the scar from that."

"Mother, you've always said that scar gives me character. Anyway, getting roughed up by a mass murderer, think what Paula and the PR people could do with that one. I could sell an extra million copies."

"Richard, that's not funny," Martha told him. "Mass murderers! You're a writer not a cop!"

"So Beckett keeps reminding me," Castle said ruefully, wincing and covering his eyes with his hands as pain lanced through his head.

Martha softened immediately. "We'll leave you to rest."

Alexis squeezed her father's hand. "Love you," she whispered.

"Love you too," Castle returned as she slowly let go to leave.

Beckett started to follow them out. "Kate, stay a minute," Castle asked gently.

Beckett nodded.

"Kate," Castle told her. "Tyson left me alive to punish me, to let me know that he would kill again and there is nothing I can do to stop it. We have to get him."

"Castle, every cop in the city is looking for him."

"He knows how to hide. He'll change his appearance, his habits, anything. They could look right at him and not know it. But listen, he's such a psychopath, he doesn't understand normal behavior. He never asked about his girlfriend, that's what made me suspicious. Even Gates cared about his foster brother. Tyson doesn't care about anyone. He has no relationships of his own. He just likes to immerse himself in other peoples' lives so he can use them to kill. He's going to use others to put together another scenario to throw everyone off his track. We can't take anything we see at face value."

"Castle, you did everything you could. Get some rest and let us work on it," Beckett told him. Castle settled back against his prop of pillows, body rigid and eyes staring at the ceiling. Beckett wanted to offer comfort, but there was nothing more she could say. Castle had figured out Tyson's plan, and if Tyson hadn't gotten the drop on Ryan, Tyson would be in custody. That wasn't on Castle. But Castle wore his guilt like a lead weight across his shoulders and there was nothing she could say that would shake it loose.

* * *

Beckett arrived at the precinct to find a still bandaged Castle in his familiar chair by her desk, his face in a folder.

"I didn't expect you to be here, Castle," she told him. "I thought Martha was keeping you penned up in the loft."

"I escaped," Castle replied.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm reviewing all the files on Tyson. I'm hoping that somewhere in here there's a clue to how he disappeared."

"Any luck?" Beckett asked.

"No," Castle answered, forcefully closing one file and opening another. "Nothing! Beckett, we had him and we let him slip away! I feel so..."

"I know," Beckett soothed, laying her hand over his tightly balled fist. "I'll be right back."

She returned, her hands cupped around a steaming mug. "Here Castle," she said softly, wishing she could do more, "I brought you a coffee."


	60. Chapter 60

Moment in Time

Til Death Do Us Part

Beckett spotted Castle standing uncomfortably in the narthex of the church. "Castle, you look like a lost puppy. Where's your date?"

"At a Lady Gaga concert with a teenage boy," Castle answered ruefully. "How do I compete with that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Beckett told him with genuine sympathy.

"Yeah, me too," Castle told her. "I hate going to weddings alone."

"Well maybe we could be each others' plus one," Beckett proposed.

"Yeah," Castle agreed enthusiastically. "And then avoid the stigma of sitting at the singles table. Yes that would be nice. I would like that."

* * *

Beckett swiped the place card Jenny's mother had so carefully made for her from the singles table and used it to replace Alexis' next to Castle.

"It was a nice ceremony," Castle said, "even if Jenny's half brother did drop the ring. But did you watch Esposito smirking? You could tell he was thinking, 'it wouldn't have happened if you'd chosen me, bro.'"

Beckett laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty obvious, but did you see, it looks like he and Lanie have connected again. They were making moonie eyes all during the ceremony."

"Moonie eyes? Really Beckett? I think this whole wedding thing is getting to that steely hardboiled detective heart."

Beckett was about to spit out a suitably acidic retort when the DJ announced the first dance. Ryan and Jenny took the floor, seeing nothing but each other. Beckett watched in rapt attention, a ghost of tears beginning to glisten in her eyes. Castle, knowing he'd be a dead man if he said anything, silently handed her his handkerchief. Beckett wiped her eyes and handed it back, as the dance came to a close. "Thanks Castle, I think I must be allergic to the flower arrangements."

"I think a lot of people here are," Castle commented, as eyes were wiped and noses blown around the room. The music picked up with Rihanna's "We Found Love" and the floor began to fill. "You want to dance, Beckett?" Castle asked, eagerly remembering her sinuous gyrations at a club where they had gone undercover to snare a drug dealer.

"Sure," Beckett agreed, "but if you dip me, just remember to get me up again," she requested, also remembering a previous case.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about it with this music," Castle replied, "and we're not chasing any crooks today, unless there's something you haven't told me."

"No undercover, Castle, just a wedding," Beckett assured him as Castle worked to banish the image her words had conjured in his head.

After six lively numbers, sweat was beginning to break out on Castle's forehead, both from the exertion and from watching the motion of Beckett's hips. "You want some champagne?" he asked, very glad when Beckett nodded. Castle made his way to the bar. The sparkly wine was not the one he would have chosen, but he was well aware of Kevin and Jenny's budget and thought that they had chosen well, within their range. He brought two flutes back to the table.

Castle and Beckett touched chilled glasses and watched the couples on the dance floor as they sipped. As the silence between them became awkward, Castle decided to fill it with something that seemed harmless. "Alexis actually picked out a beautiful dress for this affair," he said. "Ironically, that's how she ended up not coming."

"How did that happen?" Beckett asked.

"She met a boy at the boutique where she found the dress, the owner's grandson. Somehow mother hooked up with the owner and Alexis hooked up with the grandson. They both bought expensive dresses, on my card of course, and they both got invited to a family affair with Lady Gaga."

"You never know how you're going to meet someone special, do you Castle?" Beckett asked.

Their eyes locked and for a moment the tables, the music, and the dancing faded from consciousness. "No," Castle answered, "you don't."

The DJ intruded, breaking the spell. "The best man would like to make a toast."

Nelson nervously approached the microphone, doing his best to look dignified. It was difficult. His body was still gangly and uncontrolled and though he'd apparently done his best to cover them, his face showed the bumps that were the bane of his age. He pulled an index card from the pocket of his tuxedo and raised a glass containing something that Castle sincerely hoped was non-alcoholic. "I just wanted to say," he began haltingly, "that Kevin and Jenny are what a couple should be. You can't be with them without seeing the love they have for each other. They fill the room with their happiness. May their love never end and the happiness they have now never leave their lives."

The room rose and applauded. Esposito smacked Nelson on the back in genuine appreciation. Castle's eyes were on the dais, where Ryan had pulled Jenny in for a heartfelt kiss. He stared longingly, before noticing that Beckett was following his gaze. "Hey," Castle said. "It's getting warm in here. Wanna take a walk?" Castle offered his arm and Beckett took it.

The late autumn chill was a contrast to the closeness of the ballroom. Castle welcomed it as it calmed the rush of feelings triggered by the wedding. The DJ might as well have hit a pause button on his relationship with Beckett. There was no more Dr. motorcycle boy in the way, but she claimed that her emotional walls would not come down until her mother's death was dealt with and to keep her safe, Castle couldn't let her deal with it. His frustration had only been heightened watching Ryan and Jenny enjoying something about which he could only dream.

Beckett kept her hold on Castle's arm. In that moment, watching Kevin and Jenny, she really wanted to tell Castle the truth. She had heard his words of love but she just wasn't ready to let him in. Maybe, someday soon she would be; she and Dr. Burke were making progress, but she wasn't there yet. Her wound was still too fresh. She could feel the tightness of the scar tissue in both her body and spirit, its bonds holding tightly to her heart. She felt the comforting warmth of Castle's arm under hers as they walked and fervently hoped it would still be there when she was set free.

The path they had been following had rounded the hotel, taking them back to where they had begun. "Ready to go back in?" Castle asked.

"Yeah," Beckett answered. "I could use another glass of champagne."

"It's a good Irish wedding," Castle said. "I think I'll see if they have any whiskey."

A/N Getting serious now. The Nerd HQ campaign ends Friday. Even, if like me, you won't have a chance to get to San Diego, Nerd HQ always has the best video of Nathan Fillion and so many others, besides supporting Operation Smile. We've watched Nathan drink awful medicine and sell his beloved scooter to support the cause. Don't let it stop. Tweet me at CheerfulChemist for the URL.


	61. Chapter 61

Moment in Time

Nanny McDead

Castle gazed at the picture he had retrieved from the drawer, Alexis as a little girl, so dependent on Daddy. He ran his fingers over another item from the drawer, one of the notebooks into which he had channeled so much of himself, long before he ever hit a single key on his fancy new laptop.

_October 8, 1999_

_I took Alexis to the park again today. Who ever thought there could be so much joy in catching my little girl as she rushed fearlessly to the bottom of the slide or in pushing her on a swing. She fills my heart in a way that nothing else ever has. I watch her hair tangling in the breeze, her eyes fill with excitement, and even the trembling of her lip when she scrapes a knee, and I'm continually amazed._

_There were several women there with their kids. A couple of them wore no rings and I could see their eyes on my left hand, checking out whether I wore one. One of them was kind of cute. She had great green eyes and an ass that wouldn't quit. She sat next to me on the bench, making a show of tying her very trendy running shoe, which had already been perfectly tied. She asked me which child was mine, as an obvious ploy to introduce herself. Her name was Megan. I should have been more interested. She sent out all the right signals and it really has been a while since I've been laid, but somehow I couldn't work up any enthusiasm. After a while she just walked away. I wonder if she thought I was gay. Now that would have been an interesting way to discourage her. Maybe next time it happens I could just start a conversation about my boyfriend. Nah! Who would believe it? It's more than obvious that I love women, even if Megan held no appeal for me. I still don't understand why she didn't. Maybe she was just trying too hard. It might be nice to find a woman who would challenge me. It's been a long time since that happened. Meredith didn't. I think the last one who did was Kyra. I still miss that. _

_I bought Alexis ice cream on the way home. Soon it will be too cold to do that. We'll have to switch to hot pretzels and then maybe even to hot chestnuts. I don't know if Alexis will even eat a chestnut. I've never tried to feed her one. I'm looking forward to finding out. It's strange how such a little thing can be so exciting. Raising Alexis is a voyage of infinite discovery, a voyage that while exciting is often frustrating and definitely exhausting. I can't imagine anything in the universe I'd trade for it, not even an original Star Wars light saber._

_December 15, 1999_

_I did a signing for my new book today. Black Pawn has me doing a series of them to boost Christmas sales. It would have been nice if Meredith could have helped with Alexis for a while, but she just opened in a new show. I'm not sure how safe Alexis would be with her anyway. She really doesn't know much about her own daughter. Mother has no show or husband at the moment, so she has been surprisingly helpful. I think she's better with Alexis than she was with me. Maybe that's a characteristic of grandparents. She took care of Alexis today while I smiled at the stream of number one fans. The line was out the door. I think they were standing in line for an hour. I'm continually amazed that they would want to do that. There was one who really caught my attention and she shouldn't have, because she couldn't have been much more than nineteen. She had the most amazing hazel eyes. As the light shifted, they looked green, with a look of sadness that was haunting. If I close my eyes, I can still see them. She didn't gush. She seemed shy but determined as she put her book in front of me to sign. She said her name was Kate. I would really love to know her story. What could put a look like that in those eyes? _

_Christmas 1999_

_I'm in love with the glow in my little girl's eyes. Last month I caught her watching a show on TV where all the little girls had tiaras and tutus. She was entranced. She danced around the room imagining herself a ballerina princess. So last night the tutu was under the tree and for this morning I put a tiara in her stocking. She hasn't stopped dancing. I would have expected her to slow down for a Christmas cookie or two, but she hasn't. She'll exhaust herself eventually and I can probably get some writing done while she naps. Sales of my new book have been so good that Black Pawn is continually nagging me about the next one. I have ideas. I always have ideas, but right now none of them are as exciting to me as the whirling dervish endlessly circling the Christmas tree._

_New Years 2000_

_Everyone is saying that this is the millennium, but of course it isn't. The millennium doesn't start until 2001 and is unlikely to be anything like what Arthur C. Clarke envisioned. The great thing about this year is the Y2K paranoia. Everyone is in the mood for a conspiracy and that's my wheelhouse. Ideas are coming fast and furiously for the new book and I think I might even finish it on time. That won't stop Black Pawn from leaning on me. They'll just want the next one faster. I love to write, but I resent being pulled away from Alexis. It is ironic that writing the books gives me the freedom to be with my daughter, but is also the thing that takes me away from her._

_I had a dream last night about a book signing. I have those a lot. They often turn into nightmares where I have to sign the hairy chest of some 400 pound man. This dream was different. I saw the girl I met a couple of weeks ago, the one with the sad eyes, Kate. I should not be dreaming about nineteen year old girls. I don't want some father coming after me with a shotgun. I know I might do something similar if some lecherous author leered at a teen-aged Alexis. Still, she's embedded herself in my brain. I wonder what she'll look like when she's older. Probably gorgeous. She has the kind of cheekbones that make a woman beautiful, even at ninety. I'm sure I'll never know. _

_There is a woman named Gina who came to work for Black Pawn. She is smart and ambitious. I can see her running the whole show someday. There seems to be some interest in her eyes when she looks at me. I don't know whether it's actually for me or my books. I may ask her out, unless she asks me first. She is pretty assertive, not that I mind. I like assertive women._

_Alexis tried so hard to stay up and see the New Year come in last night. She made it to eleven before crashing. Just now she curled up on the rug and fell asleep. I'm going to carry her upstairs and get to work. The story awaits._

Castle stared at the pages he had written so long ago. He had banished the any thoughts of the sad-eyed girl from his mind and pursued his ex-wife. Now he tried to summon the long lost image. Hazel eyes, an incredible, if unfinished face. Could it have been Kate Beckett? In a city the size of New York, the odds were against it. There were lots of Kates, even Kates with hazel eyes. But, as much as she tried to deny it, Kate Beckett was a fan of his work, if not of him. She had read his books in detail. That much was obvious. The age was right and although he didn't know the details, she had definitely been hurt, and not just as a scorned lover. Could it be?

Castle shook his head, opened his laptop and returned to writing about the lost love of Nikki Heat.


	62. Chapter 62

Moment in Time

Lucky Stiff

Beckett bent over her guitar trying, unsuccessfully, to figure out the chords for the rap song that had been stuck in her head all day. The knock at the door was almost a welcome relief from the ear worm plaguing her. "Castle," she greeted him in surprise as she opened the door.

Caught in a wave of enthusiasm, Castle strode right past her. "I know what you would do if you won the lottery," he exclaimed, his body vibrating with little boy glee.

Beckett rolled her eyes. "By all means come in. So what is this big insight into a financial decision that I will never have to make?"

Castle was undaunted. "You would use the money to honor your mother's legacy. On the way over here I called the dean of your mom's old law school. We talked about starting a scholarship in Johanna Beckett's name, one that would provide a full ride for a student planning on dedicating their career to those in the legal system without a voice, the kind of people your mom championed. And with your blessing, I would like to host a fundraiser to fund it."

Beckett masked the smile threatening to break out on her face with a scowl. "You just can't stay out of my personal life, can you?"

Castle's grin was replaced with puppy dog disappointment.

Relenting, Beckett let her smile show. "Thank you. It's really sweet."

Castle opened a folder and took a seat at Beckett's table. "We definitely have to invite the mayor and all his campaign contributors." Beckett sat opposite him in bemusement as the words rushed from his mouth. "Some of them can be boorish. There's this one guy, I think he fancies himself a suave Italian, even though he's from Brooklyn. He really likes to pinch women's - assets. You'd have to watch out for him. Scratch that, he'll have to watch out for you. You'd probably slap the cuffs on him like you did on Oz. That was great, by the way. I can't wait to write something like that for Nikki." Castle stopped for a moment, thinking that Rook would have more luck with Nikki than he was having with Beckett. He sighed.

"Castle," Beckett asked breaking his unhappy stream of thought, "are you still here?"

"Yeah," Castle replied. "I was just writing a scene in my head. Okay I can picture the scene for the benefit..."

* * *

The Old Haunt had been remade into a paean to the legal system. Brian the bartender and his staff were dressed in dark suits and old school ties. The drink list, posted on what looked like a giant legal pad, included "The Plea," "The Brief," "The Recess," and "The Verdict." For extra class, the upright piano had been replaced by a baby grand, rented for the night. Castle had found a hungry Julliard student to play it. The movers and shakers of the city were in attendance, notably Castle's Gotham Crew poker buddies, including Captain Montgomery, who looked a bit uncomfortable, pulling at his tie.

"Something wrong, sir?" Beckett asked.

"Damn shirt is half a size too small," Montgomery told her, immediately covering his disquiet.

Castle found it hard to take his eyes off Beckett. She had chafed at the idea of Castle buying her another dress for the evening, but had grudgingly accepted when she realized how long it would take her to pay for one on a cop's salary. He felt she had chosen well when Martha took her shopping with his card. The dress was black Chinese silk and almost devoid of decoration. It showed very little skin, just a hint of calf peeking out from a side slit, but it hugged her curves like a second skin. Sweat covered his palms as he imagined slowly peeling it off to reveal the treasures beneath. He gave himself a mental slap. If he kept this up, he'd have to go hide in the office for a while, or at the very least, sit at a table.

Sitting at a table seemed a better idea by the minute and Castle slid in to join the mayor and Judge Markaway. "So, Castle," Markaway asked, "are you still enjoying being a - consultant to the NYPD?"

"It certainly has its perks," Castle answered, his eyes straying again to Beckett.

"I bet," Markaway commented, following Castle's gaze.

Castle stared at the judge. "Not like that. We're not... She's dating a cardiac surgeon."

"To bad," Markaway told him. "She's good for you. She keeps you out of mischief - and my courtroom."

"Yeah," Castle absently agreed as he spied Beckett heading for the trap door to the basement office. "Could you excuse me?"

Castle followed to find Beckett dabbing at her eyes with toilet paper taken from the storage closet. "Kate, what's wrong?" Castle asked.

"Castle, everyone keeps talking to me about my mother's memorial and I know she would have really loved this. Fighting for people who need it, the scholarship, all of it, but she's not here to see it. It just really brought it home to me that she's gone. She'll never see this. And my dad was supposed to be here, but he got called to London at the last minute. All of a sudden I just felt so alone. Stupid right?"

"Not stupid," Castle answered. "So tough as nails Kate Beckett is human. Who would have guessed?"

"You," Kate answered with a hint of a smile. "You guessed pretty much the first day we met."

"Well that's just my writer's radar," Castle replied. "To the rest of the world your image is intact. Kate Beckett is an unbeatable, not to mention incredibly hot, super cop. Your mascara, however is putting the cutest stripes on your face. Unless you're trying to start a new trend, you might want to fix it." Castle opened a door that had not been there when Castle bought the bar.

"You put a bathroom in down here?" Beckett asked. "Too lazy to go upstairs?"

"You got me," Castle confessed, thinking of the nights spent in the office on the phone with his accountant trying to figure out how to make the place turn a profit. They had managed it, especially with the increase in patronage from the NYPD, but Castle had often needed a wash and a shave to make himself presentable before leaving in the early morning and he preferred his privacy.

Castle was waiting when Kate emerged after rinsing her face with cold water and repairing her make-up. "Better?" she asked, almost shyly.

Castle smiled, as a flare of heat fried his brain yet again. "Stunning."

Castle offered his arm and they returned to the party together.

A/N This was a request that happened to come at the same time someone else wrote on the subject of the fundraiser. I didn't know when I wrote it. Quite different stories.


	63. Chapter 63

Moment in Time

Hedge Fund Home Boys

"Let's go. Power up. I don't want to be late," Castle instructed his daughter.

"You're coming?" Alexis asked in surprise.

Castle squared his shoulders and pushed out his chest. "You are looking at the official replacement chaperone."

"Yay!" Alexis cheered.

"I just realized I have some business to take care of in DC anyway," Castle added.

"Really?" Alexis inquired.

"Yeah, I've got to pick out a spot for my monument just in case."

Alexis smiled. "I think Washington and Lincoln already have the good ones."

"Maybe they can move Jefferson?" Castle suggested.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure," Alexis agreed, her laugh softening the sarcasm.

"All right you two kids, hurry off now," Martha urged, a little too enthusiastically. "You don't want to miss any of the fun."

Castle looked at her suspiciously. "Any of your fun, you mean?"

"It's not what you think," Martha protested as a large group of people approached the door to the loft.

"No, it's exactly what I think," Castle told her, sighing in resignation.

"Does this look like a wild group?" Martha asked assuming an air of innocence. "For your information, I am hosting a seminar for my life-coaching class, 'Be the change you want to see.'"

"How very zen of you," Castle commented, a scowl forming on his face.

Alexis attempted to be the peacemaker. "Dad, be supportive, she's trying to help people."

"Yeah, to my liquor cabinet," Castle retorted.

Martha continued her protestations. "This is going to be a very civilized affair. Now off with you!" She hurried her son and granddaughter through the door, closing it behind them. Castle winced as he heard his Mother's voice come ringing through the barrier, "Now, who wants a drink?"

"I have to put a stop to this," Castle told Alexis.

"Dad, there's no time. We're barely going to make the bus as it is," Alexis told him.

"Okay," Castle grudgingly agreed, "But you're going to help with the mess when we get back."

The trip to DC was quieter than Castle remembered teenage field trips as being, with most of the occupants of the bus bent over cell phones instead of singing or exchanging gossip. Reflecting on how he may have been spoiled by first class flights and luxury cars over the past few years, he was grateful that he had gotten an aisle seat providing something resembling legroom. He pulled out his own cell phone to play Ninja Ropes and was startled by a female voice. "Mr. Castle?"

Castle looked up to see a pretty brunette, although he was annoyed to find a voice at the back of his mind noting she wasn't as pretty as Kate Beckett. "I'm May Johnson, the American history teacher. I'll be leading the tour of historic places."

"Yes, Miss Johnson," Castle replied, "we met on parents night. Alexis enjoys your class very much."

Miss Johnson smiled, a bit too brightly. "You can call me May," she said. "We're not in school."

Castle had seen that smile before. Sometimes he welcomed it, but at that moment, for reasons of which he wasn't entirely sure, wasn't in the mood to be hit on. "You know," he replied with a laugh, "I don't think I can. Somehow teachers always are Miss, Mr., or Mrs., to me. I think it's a conditioned response."

Miss Johnson laughed back with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yes, I suppose a lot of us have been conditioned that way. Anyway, what I came to tell you is that I'll be having a little meeting with the chaperones before we start, to make sure that you know who's responsible for which students and what our general itinerary is. We'll meet in the back of the bus at about one."

"I'll see you back there, then," Castle agreed. Miss Johnson moved on to another parent and Castle returned to his game.

The students ate sack lunches en route with the predictable number of spills and trades for desired items. Castle noticed that no one seemed to be particularly interested in the roll-up of turkey and bean sprouts that Alexis had made for herself. The triple chocolate brownies he had baked the night before were another matter. The exchange rate went as high as two cupcakes per brownie. Castle gloried in the "cool dad," comments until receiving a look from Alexis that brought him down to earth.

When the parents gathered for their meeting with Miss Johnson, she handed out carefully prepared lists of students, complete with identifying pictures and a detailed description of each stop and the period of time they would be there. Castle was impressed with her organization, although noting that his sheet contained names of Alexis' friends with whom he was actually already acquainted. The other parents didn't seem to be as familiar with their charges and welcomed the pictures.

The class saw the Washington Monument, and then stopped at the Lincoln Memorial. One of the mothers, Mrs. Dormer, started calling for an absent teen. "Who's missing?" Castle asked.

"Alyssa," Mrs. Dormer answered, pointing to a picture on her sheet. "I did a head count when we arrived here, she can't have been gone for more than a few minutes."

Miss Johnson and the chaperones spent a half hour circling the area looking for Alyssa. "Dad," Alexis said, a frightened look on her face, "I saw a strange boy hanging around before Alyssa disappeared. Page and Lauren said they saw him too."

Castle's stomach twisted. He communicated what Alexis had told him to Miss Johnson who called the DC police. The police were slow to arrive and didn't seem to take the description of the young man given to them by Alexis and her friends seriously. "I have to tell you," Officer Smith informed the adults, "teenagers disappear all the time. Usually they've hooked up and gone off to make out. They turn up eventually."

Panic rose in the faces of Miss Johnson and Mrs. Dormer. "None of the other students are missing," Miss Johnson argued. "I don't know who she'd make out with."

Looking at Officer Smith's blasé face, Castle felt an urge to smash it in. He thought of the toughest minded person he knew to call. "What do you want, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"I'm on a field trip with Alexis in DC," Castle started to explain.

"Then why are you still in my hair?" Beckett interrupted.

"Beckett, this is serious," Castle continued, ignoring her jibe. "One of the girls is missing. Alexis and her friends saw someone suspicious around but the local cops aren't taking it seriously. Alexis is serious. If she says she saw someone, she did. I'm afraid... Can you talk to the DC cops, maybe get some cooperation out of professional courtesy?"

Beckett responded to a tone in Castle's voice she hadn't heard before. "All right, Castle, I'll see what I can do. Give me the particulars."

Castle gave Beckett all the information he had. The group continued with the field trip, leaving Mrs. Dormer at the Lincoln Memorial in case Alyssa returned. The teens were subdued and the adults never let their hands stray far from their cell phones. Castle answered on the first ring. "Castle," Beckett reported, "I got something from the DC police. There is a guy. He's in his twenties but looks about seventeen, good looking in a creepy way. He's lured teenaged girls before. So far he hasn't hurt anyone, just hung with the girls for a while and bought them stuff. He's scared a few families to death. He was picked up on kidnapping charges but they couldn't make anything stick. They're checking his usual haunts now. He likes malls."

"Beckett, thank you," Castle told her. "I owe you, big time."

"Castle you owe me, but not for this," Beckett replied. "Just call me when they find her."

Castle passed on the information to Miss Johnson and to his fellow parents. Another hour passed before Miss Johnson's phone rang. The police had Alyssa and they were bringing her back to the group. Castle thankfully called Beckett.

Beckett hung up her phone smiling and shaking her head. She didn't think that Richard Castle had it in him to have that much concern for another person. She had been surprised by his empathy for the parents of a slain teen in the case they had just finished and now she was surprised again. Somehow he was always surprising her.

Exhausted both from the travel and the emotional toll of the trip, Alexis and Castle returned to the loft. Glasses were everywhere. Chips crunched under their feet and somehow dip had been smeared all over the counter. Alexis sank down on a littered couch. "Dad," I know I told you I'd help clean up but..."

"I know," Castle agreed, almost falling to the cushions next to her. Pulling one of Martha's handouts from beneath him, he looked around the room again and closed his eyes in defense. "You can help with the next one. This time, I'm calling a cleaning service."


	64. Chapter 64

Moment in Time

A Death in the Family

"Get this!" Ryan exclaimed. "The hospital can't find the file. It's like it never happened."

"Who did you talk to?" Castle asked.

"Patient Information," Ryan replied.

Castle smirked. "Well that was your first mistake. If you want to find someone at a hospital who had a treatment there, there's only one department where nothing ever falls through the cracks: billing."

The bullpen faded as Castle's mind flashed back to another time.

Castle had fallen asleep with his feet on his desk and his laptop beside them when he was rousted by a pounding on the door. "Afton, what's the matter?" he asked the distraught young woman on the threshold.

Afton swiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry Rick, I didn't know where else to come."

"Come in, please," he told her. "Sit down and tell me what's wrong."

"It's Nini," Afton answered.

"Your grandmother. What happened?" Castle asked.

"She's been having pain," Afton explained. "She kept telling me that it was nothing, that it would go away, but it didn't. A few days ago she collapsed and I took her to the emergency room. They did some tests. They found a tumor. They gave her a few pain pills and a referral to an oncologist and sent her home. She's not old enough for Medicare yet and she doesn't have insurance. Nobody will help her. She's in so much pain, it tears me up to see her like that. When you lived across the hall from us you were kind of like my big brother..."

"My mother was away so much of the time and Nini was like my grandmother too," Castle finished. "I'm glad you came to me. I want to help."

Castle signed the financial responsibility paperwork in the oncologist's office and sat with Afton while the doctor explained the situation.

"The tumor is huge," Doctor Riley explained. "It's been allowed to grow for a long time. We'll have to use chemotherapy to shrink it enough to make it operable. Your grandmother is going to have a rough time. There will be some pretty severe side effects. Will you be able to take care of her?"

Afton twisted the handle of her purse in her hands. "I have to work and …."

Castle reached over and took her hand. "I'll take care of it," he said.

Castle picked Alexis up from elementary school. While she worked on her homework, he poured over some of the medical and financial information he had received at Dr. Riley's office. "I may have to write an extra best seller to pay for this," he mused. He knew he could bring his laptop to sit with Nini while Alexis was at school, but that still left a lot of time uncovered while Afton had to work and run errands. He began to call agencies that offered home health care aides.

The days that passed were an education that Castle would never have wanted. Castle remembered Nini as plump, red cheeked, and always baking cookies. With his most brilliant smile, he tried to hide his reaction to the woman he saw now. Blue veins stood out of almost transparent skin. Her face was pinched and gaunt, her eyes deeply shadowed, her rapidly balding head covered by a knit cap. She seemed almost embarrassed to have him see her, as she lay on the couch under a handmade afghan. He tried his best to put her at ease. "Nini, I really need advice on the story I'm writing. I have a character that makes her money knitting hats worn by a character on an old sci fi TV show, but I have no idea how she'd do it. Can you explain it to me? What exactly is knitting and purling?"

Nini's eyes brightened as she asked Castle to fetch her knitting basket so she could show him just how the stitches were done. As she demonstrated, he took notes on his laptop, notes he would probably never use. When she finished, they watched soap operas together until the aide showed up, allowing Castle to leave to take care of Alexis.

"Dad," are you okay?" Alexis asked, as he drove her home from elementary school.

"Yeah," Castle replied, "fine. Why?"

"You seem kind of sad."

"Somebody I like a lot is sick," Castle explained. "She was very good to me when I was just a few years older than you."

"Will she be all right?" Alexis asked.

"I hope so," Castle answered. "I'm trying to help her."

"That's good, Dad," Alexis told him. "You should."

Castle smiled at the miracle that was his daughter. Somehow she hadn't inherited her mother's selfishness, despite his bad influence.

* * *

Nini's tumor was declared to have shrunk enough to make surgery possible. Castle sat hand in hand with Afton as the clock slowly ticked through the hours while the doctors and nurses worked. Finally a doctor found them in the waiting room. The expression on his face said it all. "I'm so sorry," he told Afton gravely. We removed the tumor, we did everything we could, but a new network of blood vessels had formed and we couldn't stop the bleeding. Your grandmother is gone."

Castle held Afton in his arms as as her tears drenched his shirt and he could feel moisture dotting his face as well. He took Afton home and sat with her until she slept, then began his calls to make final arrangements. The service was simple, with few people to watch Nini go to her rest.

Nini was gone, but the bills were not. They came and they came, for oncology services, radiology, the operating room, everything down to gauze pads and a wildly overpriced water pitcher. Castle thumbed through the stacks of paper shaking his head. If a mechanic fixed your car and it didn't work, you could refuse to pay the bill. Not so with this. Dying was at least as expensive as living. He vowed that he would never leave Alexis with this kind of a burden.

"Castle!" Beckett called, bringing him back to the present. "Are you with us or thinking up some new wildly implausible theory?"

"No," Castle answered, "I was just thinking about Alexis."

"Oh, did she find a dress for the prom?" Beckett asked.

"Yeah," Castle answered. "She's going to be beautiful."

A/N It occurred to me that for Castle to make the kind of comment he did about billing at a hospital, it must have sprung from experience - unpleasant experience. For those outside the US this kind of thing might seem strange, but here it has been all too common.


	65. Chapter 65

Moment in Time

The Double Down

Castle, Beckett, Ryan and Esposito slid into a booth at Remy's. "We need a way to settle this," Esposito insisted.

"As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to settle," Beckett told him. "Castle and I got the confession. You guys couldn't have broken your suspect without us. Right now I'm more interested in a strawberry shake. I think better with something in my mouth."

Castle made a choking noise just as the waitress arrived to take their orders. Burgers and fries were served all around with Castle insisting on extra cheese. Beckett teasingly caught Castle's eye as she sucked on the straw in her shake. Castle bit down hard on a french fry.

"So if you guys are ready to wear dresses and shave your heads I have something in my closet that might fit Ryan," Beckett said.

"No way!" Esposito protested as Ryan blanched. "There's got to be another way."

"I've thought of one," Castle said.

"Castle, there's nothing to think about," Beckett insisted. "We won."

Castle thought of Esposito in a dress and shuddered. "No Beckett, this will be fun. We can have a murder dinner. I can have it set up by a third party so none of us knows who the murderer is. We'll be assigned characters and get to see the evidence. We can even question each other. Whoever figures out the murderer wins the bet."

"Castle, can I talk to you for a minute?" Beckett asked, grabbing his arm and dragging him away from the table. "Castle, I'm not taking a chance at having to shave my head!"

Castle ran a hand through his own luxuriant locks. "You have a point. We'll change the terms and just do it for the money. There are so many people in on it from the precinct, we have to do something. Besides, with you and me working together, you know we're going to win."

Beckett nodded slowly. "Yeah, Ryan might actually look cute, but I don't think I could deal with Espo in a dress."

* * *

Tables were set up around the pool in the Hamptons house, along with heaters to dispel the autumn chill. The players had been sent their characters in advance. Castle was Tony Cartucci, head of the Cartucci crime family. He was dressed to the nines in a hand tailored suit, shiny Italian made shoes and even sported a mustache. Beckett was less happy with her character as Trixie, Tony's moll. She wore a slinky dress that left nothing to the imagination, heels even higher than her usual choice, and hair that was temporarily sprayed an obnoxious orangy red. Ryan was Jack Larsen, a cub reporter, carrying his signature notebook, and Esposito, Seamus McClaine, a shady private eye, complete with trench coat and flask. Acting students roamed, playing other mobsters and molls.

Dinner was served by waiters in tuxedos. Playing their parts, they were deferential to Castle, almost to the point of obsequiousness. He enjoyed it immensely, sipping champagne while his eyes searched the other players for clues. Beckett rolled her eyes as she grudgingly clung to his arm, playing her role. As with any party at Chez Castle, the food was superb. The meal began with an antipasto, offered first to Castle for his approval. It continued with linguini with clam sauce served with Mediterranean vegetables and ended with a choice of cannoli or tiramisu. The lights went out as the players were finishing dessert. When they came on again, one of the waiters lay by the side of the pool, his shirt covered in red stains and a stiletto, also covered in red, beside him.

Falling out of character, Beckett immediately examined the body, who was trying his best to look dead. The lights went out again and Beckett felt, rather than saw, the corpse scurry away before the lights returned for a second time. The stiletto was gone as well.

"Trixie," Castle called, receiving no response. Castle cleared his throat, loudly. "Trixie." he repeated.

Beckett remembered he was supposed to be talking to her. "Yeah Castle, I mean Tony, what?"

"Get your pretty behind over here!" Castle ordered, taking full advantage of his assigned character.

Beckett returned to his table, giving him a look that screamed, "I'll get you for this."

"What did you see?" Castle asked in a low voice.

"It looked like he was supposed to have been stabbed with a stiletto," Beckett told him. "The knife vanished with the body."

"I think you were the only one who saw it," Castle told her. "That may give us a real advantage. There are arrest records for all the mobsters on the evidence table. We can see who uses a stiletto."

"Castle and Beckett were joined at the evidence table by Ryan and Esposito. Castle left Beckett to go through the old style paperwork and returned to his table. He used his position as head of the family to call the other mobsters to him one by one. After completing her work at the evidence table, Beckett returned to Castle's side. Finally getting into the spirit of the play, she made a great show of using an old fashioned compact to powder her nose, all the while studying the men being questioned by Castle. Ryan and Esposito, circulated through the tables observing and asking whatever questions they could without being rebuffed by the ersatz mobsters.

A clue caught Beckett's eye and she was pretty sure Castle had seen it as well. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. "Tony, I gotta talk to you now, privately." She drew Castle over to a clump of bushes at the far end of the pool. "It was Rinnie the Rat!" they exclaimed together.

"There was a drop of blood on his cufflink and his tie was pushed to the side, as if he had been dragging something," Castle said. "Also that waiter had been making eyes at Rinnie's girlfriend.

"And he was suspected in two murders using a stiletto," Beckett added. "There was also a white smear on his jacket and the dead waiter had cannoli filling on the sleeve of his tux."

Beckett and Castle smiled at each other, eyes meeting as their faces drew close, before they each suddenly took a step back.

The referee called loudly for attention and handed out forms for the players to choose the murderer and explain why. Esposito and Ryan has chosen Louie the Lark, known for his operatic tenor voice. He had blood on his collar, but they missed the tiny cut on his face indicating he'd cut himself shaving. He also had a smear on his suit, but it was clam sauce, which had been absent from the corpse. What sealed it was the murder weapon. Louis the Lark habitually used a switchblade instead of a stiletto. Castle and Beckett were awarded the win. Castle took the now much battered envelope holding precinct bets from Beckett and held it over his head in triumph as Esposito snorted in disgust.

"Castle, this party must have cost you at least ten times what you'll get from that bet," Beckett said.

"Closer to a hundred," Castle replied. "But it was worth it."

"Why Castle? Winning can't be that important to you."

"No," Castle answered, "but not seeing Esposito in a dress, and the hotness of seeing you in that one, was."

Beckett walked away, rolling her eyes, but smiling.


	66. Chapter 66

Moment in Time

The Fast and the Furriest

"How was your evening with Alexis?" Beckett asked as she and Castle settled into bed.

"Enlightening," Castle answered, "I had no idea you could grow bamboo on rooftops. Of course I also had no idea that my daughter would be so passionate about an idea that she'd forget to keep money for food. It makes her a little less perfect, which is strangely comforting. She still needs me. It makes me feel like a grown up."

Beckett laughed. "I think you have a way to go there, Castle. How long did you follow Kurt around in the woods looking for Bigfoot?"

"Only a few hours," Castle replied.

"Why?" Beckett asked. "You were so enthusiastic."

"Actually my knee got tired," Castle admitted. "I may not be growing up, but I'm growing old - well older."

Beckett slipped a hand under his t-shirt. "Oh I don't know, Castle, I think we can find some life in you."

Castles eyes widened as Beckett brought her lips inches from his. "In fact, she purred, reaching under the blankets, I'm sure of it."

Fatigue flew from Castle's body as their mouths met and Beckett continued her explorations. Pushing at the Flashdance neckline of her sleep shirt, he tasted the slight saltiness of her skin while inhaling the sweetness of cherries that drifted from her hair. Clothing found a place on the floor as their need grew, drawing them together until no space could remain between them. They were one in a wild exchange of energy, impossible to contain. The force exploded outward, leaving them lying breathless, yet still entwined. Castle drifted off with Beckett in his arms.

Images invaded Castle's mind as sleep overcame his consciousness. _"Where'd it go!" he exclaimed._

"_Where'd what go, darling?" Martha asked._

"_My leftovers from Le Cirque. They were right here where this hole in the fridge is. I was going to use that Chateaubriand for my morning scramble."_

"_Well I certainly didn't eat them. I wouldn't look this good if I was pigging out on leftovers," Martha chastised._

_Castle sighed in frustration."Yes, well this isn't the first time this has happened. Food has been going missing for the past month. It's not just leftovers either. It was the peanut butter, artichokes, and a whole quart of Mulligatawny soup, gone."_

"_Well," Martha speculated, "maybe you've been sleep eating - again._

"_Again? I've never sleep eaten," Castle protested, catching Martha's skeptical look. Have I?"_

Beckett's back was cold. She reached behind her for Castle, to find his side of the bed empty. Feeling around on the floor for her shirt, she slipped it over her head and padded barefoot out of the bedroom to investigate. Castle sat at the counter with a container of chocolate ice cream and a spoon. Without looking down, he shoveled ice cream into his mouth.

"Gee Castle," Beckett teased. "I thought we had our midnight snack."

Castle continued to eat, oblivious to her presence.

"Castle," she called, getting no response. "Castle," she called again, shaking his shoulders.

Castle looked at Beckett, startled. "Beckett, what?" Castle looked at the spoon still in his hand in confusion. "Have I been eating?" he asked. "I don't even remember coming into the kitchen."

"Castle," Beckett explained, "I think you were eating in your sleep."

"Wow, that is so strange! I was just dreaming about Mother telling me I did that, but I didn't believe her. Good thing I didn't have any more dye packs. Maybe Alexis wasn't the only one to blame for all the food going missing around here. Have you ever seen me do it before?"

"No," Beckett told him. "Maybe there's some kind of trigger."

"Oh no!" Castle exclaimed. "You don't think it's..."

Beckett shook her head. "I don't think so. If it were, I would have seen you do it before - a lot."

Castle grinned. "True. Maybe it was the dream."

"Mmmm. Are you ready to go back to bed?" Beckett asked.

"Will you hold my hand so I don't do it again?"

"I could get out my cuffs," Beckett suggested saucily.

Castle wiggled his eyebrows. "We can try that later."

There was nothing missing from the kitchen in the morning and Castle put the incident out of his mind. He decided to help Beckett write up the report on Anne's murder, hoping that he could put a more intriguing spin on the Bigfoot investigation. Karpowski had been talking to a suspect at her desk who suddenly decided to make a run for the elevator, bashing into Castle on his way. Karpowski quickly cuffed her runner and led him away, leaving Castle bent over and vigorously rubbing his knee.

"You okay, Castle?" Beckett asked.

"Yes," Castle replied before wincing. "No. This has not been a good week for my knee. Falling in the hole, another hike in the woods, and then this. You know what, I'm going back to the loft. The doctor gave me some pills I could take if the pain flared up occasionally. "

"Always an excuse to get out of the paperwork," Beckett quipped, masking her concern. "Feel better. I'll see you later."

* * *

Castle shook a pill out of the vial, downed it and lay down to rest until the pain subsided. He woke up energized and decided to make dinner to greet Beckett when she returned. "Castle, this is beautiful," Beckett said surveying the table laden with citrus marinated grilled chicken, baked potatoes, and crisp tossed salad. Castle filled Beckett's glass with white wine and his own with water. "The sticker on the pills says no alcohol," he explained in answer to Beckett's questioning look.

Beckett opened her eyes alone in the darkness. "Not again," she thought. Beckett found Castle in his office with a paper clip halfway to his mouth. "Castle!" she yelled, jarring him awake. Castle looked at the paperclip in bewilderment. "Castle, this isn't funny anymore," Beckett said. "You could have hurt yourself. You need help."

* * *

Castle fidgeted uncomfortably in Dr. Burke's office. "Mr. Castle, may I call you Rick?" Burke asked.

"Fine," Castle answered.

"Rick have you had any recent stress or conflict?" Burke asked.

"I think you just described my relationship with Beckett," Castle said, "but I suspect you know that. We were butting heads on the case we just finished."

"How so?" Burke asked.

"Can I say that I was open to certain possibilities and she wasn't."

"And that bothered you?"

"It makes me sad. I think she misses out on a lot in this world. I admit, I probably believe in way too much, but I think sometimes she can't see the wonder that's in front of her eyes."

"What happened before your first eating incident?"

"I had dinner with my daughter. She had been lying to me about stealing food and we needed to work it out."

"That's interesting. Anything else?"

"I was hiking in the woods. I had to come back. I had a knee injury that was aggravated by a fall Beckett and I took working on the case."

"How did you feel about that?"

"Angry, I guess. I wanted to prove something to Beckett and I couldn't do it."

"How about the second time?"

"Nothing, except someone smashed into me in the precinct and hurt my knee again."

"You were concerned about your knee?"

"I wasn't concerned, it just hurt. I wanted to take a pill to make the pain go away."

"You took medication both times?" Burke asked.

Castle nodded. "Why?"

"What did you take?" Burke asked.

Castle took the vial he had brought along just in case out of his pocket and handed it to Burke.

A slight smile crept over Burke's face as he read the label. "Rick, you and Detective Beckett may be having issues in your relationship and I would be glad to talk to you about those any time, but I don't think they were the cause of your sleep eating. These pills are infamous for causing problems like that. There have been several lawsuits when people were hurt eating inappropriate items. I'm surprised your doctor didn't tell you."

"He might have," Rick confessed. "Beckett had just staged the most incredible thing for my birthday right before I saw him and I was totally blown away by it. I was still on pretty heavy pain medication. He gave me the prescription for later when I only needed something occasionally. I might not have been listening. Usually Beckett or my daughter went with me in case I was loopy, but Beckett had a case and my daughter had class. The doctor gave me a sheet of instructions but I don't even remember if I read them. I just read what was on the sticker on the vial."

"That's actually more than a lot of people do," Burke told him. "I can give him a call, if you like, and he can make a change."

"I think maybe I'll just stick to aspirin," Castle said. "Thank you. I really appreciate your help."

* * *

"It was the pills?" Beckett asked.

"That's what Burke thinks. I guess we'll find out." Castle answered.

"Okay Castle, but until we're sure," Beckett said, wrapping her arms around him, "I think I'll just have to keep you in custody."

"Detective Beckett," Castle told her, eying the bed, "take me in."

A/N Okay, I made the bad pills up, sort of. Most of the causes of sleep eating are unknown but a sleeping pill I will not mention because I don't want to get sued, has been implicated. It is chemically related to some muscle relaxants that a doctor might give Castle for his knee, so this scenario is not completely unlikely.


	67. Chapter 67

Moment in Time

Hell hath No Fury

Book Beat

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a book reading party at Broadway Books. The featured author was Richard Castle, and if you've ever seen his picture on a book jacket, you know that his books are not the only attraction. The night didn't begin well, with the author being nowhere to be found at the appointed starting time. The seats were already filled and even standing room was at a premium. His readers, mostly women, were getting impatient. I actually saw one woman kissing her fingers and touching them to the photograph on the volume she had purchased while she waited. A group of fans seemed to be having a Richard Castle trivia contest, which got more boisterous as the clock ticked away.

Castle's daughter, a red head with the Castle twinkle in her eye, spoke urgently into her phone before having a short conference with Gina Cowell, Castle's publisher and second ex-wife. Ms. Cowell informed the audience that Castle was in consultation with the NYPD in preparation for his new series of novels and would arrive shortly.

Castle arrived, slightly breathless, but even more handsome than his photograph and disarmingly charming. He read the last chapter of "Storm Fall" in a voice designed by God, or perhaps Lucifer, for seduction. Tears streamed down the faces of his listeners as he described the death of his hero, Derrick Storm, in the arms of the woman who loved him. It was clear that every woman in the audience pictured herself in the scene, hair blowing in the wind while the darkness hid the signs of her weeping.

Castle paused before the last few words, his eyes on a new arrival. The woman in question might well have been a character in one of his books, tall and beautiful. She wore a short pink dress that left little to the imagination, showcasing legs that rivaled Angelina Jolie. If she was trying to get Castle's attention, she succeeded, he could barely take his eyes from her.

Castle sought out the mysterious woman at the end of the reading. They were obviously acquainted and she appeared to be teasing him in more ways than with the dress. I wish I had been close enough to hear the discussion. They were interrupted by the approach of Castle's daughter and mother, the latter of whom appeared to say something that sparked vigorous discussion to say the least. The mystery woman did not appear to be happy at all and actually chased Castle to the men's room. I have to wonder if the incident will show up in some form in his next book. It would certainly be entertaining. -DD

Book Beat

I just got the lowdown on the mystery woman I reported seeing at Richard Castle's reading of Storm Fall at Broadway Books. She is Detective Kate Beckett, said to be the inspiration for the lead character, Nikki Heat, in Castle's new novel. The new book is rumored to be about a savvy, tough, but very attractive detective. The attractive aspect of his new muse is evident at first glance. For those who keep track of such things, she is five nine with brown hair and hazel eyes. I did some asking around at the 12th precinct about other aspects of Detective Beckett. Castle appears to be aiming high. She is the youngest woman ever to make detective in the NYPD and has the highest case closure rate in the city. The most interesting thing I heard about her is that she likes weird cases, which is apparently how she and Castle met. She actually pulled Castle in for questioning when she encountered two murders that mimicked circumstances in two of his books, Flowers for Your Grave and Hell Hath No Fury. Castle ended up consulting on the case, apparently infuriating Detective Beckett so much that at one point she had him arrested, something the officers who observed the incident seemed to think he actually enjoyed. Well Castle, to each his own. From what I heard of the story, Castle noted that there were inconsistencies in the murders from the way they had been portrayed in his books and concluded from that that Beckett had the wrong suspect. I have no idea how he made that jump, the people I interviewed weren't privy to that information, but it turned out that Castle was right and the guilty party was caught, due in part to Castle's actions.

Whether Castle was hooked by his participation in actually solving a murder, or by the beautiful detective herself, no one seems to be sure. The story is, however, that Castle used his influence with a highly placed poker buddy to get to shadow Detective Beckett as research. From what I hear, he seems to have as much of a knack for solving mysteries as he does for writing them. I would love to know what Detective Beckett actually thinks of all this, but she has ducked me every time I try to get an interview. I'm going to keep trying. I find the whole combination of the handsome mystery writer and the beautiful cop fascinating. -DD

Book Beat

I finally got an interview with Castle's new muse, Detective Kate Beckett. I can't say that she was too happy about it, but the NYPD really wants favorable publicity right now, so apparently her captain, Roy Montgomery, forced the issue. Even without the dress and make-up in which I first saw her, she is still beautiful, but matter-of-fact to the point of being prickly. I asked her about the case she had been working on at the time she appeared at Castle's book signing, the murder of Councilman Horn. I had heard a couple of jokes about it at the precinct involving Castle's participation in evidence gathering by getting a date with a prostitute named Tiffany. Beckett acknowledged that this was true, but that the solving of the cases depended on solid police work and not what she referred to as "Castle's stunts." I couldn't help noticing that a smile was trying to break out on her mouth when she said it though. Perhaps the detective has captured the interest of the writer, but it could just be the other way round. Stay tuned, readers. Not all the drama is in the books. -DD


	68. Chapter 68

Moment in Time

Ghosts

"Oh, and one more thing," Castle told Lee Wax, "one day, and one day not far from now, I'm gonna use this in a book."

_Richard Castle writing as Varrick Krude – A preview exclusive to attendees_

_With brains stuffed with idealism but drained of sense, Cyn Sere, Suze Mann, and Red Strom planned their caper. They didn't see themselves as terrorists but as saviors. They were going to take down the boat that was killing the fisheries, a vessel owned by a captain ironically named Cod. They had no thought to taking out Cod, just his boat. The plan was simple. Red rigged a bomb for Suze and Cyn to plant while Cod was off throwing down shots at a bar, but things went off the rails. The bomb was ticking through its final minute when Cod materialized on deck. Suze tried desperately to stop the explosion while Cyn ran for her life. _

_After the smoke cleared, Cod still had a life, if just barely. His face was a rail yard of scars and his legs reduced to ragged stumps. Suze had disappeared into the sea and Cyn into the night. The Feds, acting on a tip from that great writer anonymous, slapped the cuffs on Red, who spent the next fifteen years in the pen. Caught in the center of the blast, the powers that be assumed that Suze was dead. No body had been found, but it seemed likely that the pieces were too small to find, or had become food for the fish she held so dear._

_The cops found the suburban lady immersed in the black gold that makes our engines hum, in the bathtub of a cheap hotel. While many a Texas wildcat has dreamed of bathing in the black stuff, it didn't work out for her. It was clear that she was too uptown for a joint more accustomed to hookers and their johns. There was no I.D. to make the cop's lives simpler, but they did get a stroke of luck. A worried husband had reported his wife missing, a wife, Aly Gold, whose description matched the blackened babe._

_Mickey Gold spilled his guts the NYPD dicks Kabec, Rye, and Sito. He and the wife had financial reversals and had to blow the city for the burbs. Missing the high life, the wife took a job in the sort of fancy boutique she had used to beat her credit cards to a pulp in better days. She got a buzz from watching what she could no longer have and was able to throw a few bucks into the family kitty. Detective Sito checked the high class money vacuum for intelligence, but the owner had never heard of Aly Gold._

_Hubby Gold's illusions were further smashed when his lawyer received info that Aly Gold, nee Aly Cart had died at the age of three months. Fingerprints showed that Aly was none other than the Cyn Sere, who had been in the wind since Cod's boat blew. A terrorist had successfully masqueraded as a suburban housewife, until her death revealed the darkness that not only engulfed her body but pervaded her soul._

_Detective Kabec posed the obvious question, if Cyn Sere hadn't been working, where had the scratch she brought home every week come from? A hotel and money from an unknown source seemed to scream sugar for a willing bowl. Kabec tried to be gentle as she asked Mickey Gold's permission to dig into his wife's computer for possible meet and greets, but is was just one more blow to a splintered skull._

_The hard drive spat out the name Pat Wacker. Pat and Cyn had a series of meets when Mickey had been snowed into thinking his wife was selling sleek shifts. The last one had been arranged the day Cyn had been put deep in the black. To Kabec it looked like Wacker had done the wacking. Warrant in hand, Kabec and Sito dropped into Wacker's nest. Wacker had taken a powder but left the dirt behind, including a wanted poster of Cyn Cere. It looked like Daddy knew exactly who his little girl was. A narration of Cyn's sins unfolded from Wacker's laptop to Kabec's hungry eyes._

_Kabec and Sito reached for their weapons as the lock clicked and the door opened. Wacker stared at the unwelcome guests. If he was a man, he had one hell of a surgeon. Wacker's rack wouldn't quit and if there was a gun in those pants, it didn't show. The anger did, as Wacker, though wary at the guns trained on a well filled sweater, demanded to know who Sito and Kabec were. Swallowing their surprise, they presented their badges without lowering their metal friends._

_Pat Wacker explained that she was a writer and that Cyn Sere had come to her to write a tell all about a disastrous but well intentioned terrorist bombing and her life in hiding afterwards. Cyn had been slipped a few bucks by Wacker for her trouble. Wacker quickly spun the sordid tale of the filleting of Captain Cod._

_Kabec had lost her chief suspect but had been sent on the trail of new ones. The top of her list was bomb builder, Red Strom, released from prison five years before. He was sweeping out his shop, as he had swept away his past._

Richard Castle took the podium. "I would like to welcome everyone to lunch. As you know, we are here to raise money for Sam Pike, tragically injured in a bombing, the circumstances of which were just recently uncovered. At your places, you will find a preview of an exploration of a genre new to me, an only slightly disguised reportage of true crime. The purpose of the book is two fold. For those of you who know me, lucky you, you know that I love to have fun. I had fun finding another voice. I hope Varrick Krude will be fun for you too. My second and more important purpose is to bring closure to victims of the crimes portrayed, as well as some much needed monetary support.

Now some of you may be looking at the little taste I've provided and wondering who actually did the deed. For the rest of you, if you aren't, you should be. I will tell you this. If you want to know what happens next, you have to buy the book, and since I wrote it, I know you will. Please enjoy the chicken. You paid about five times what it's worth.

Amid laughter and applause, Castle returned to a table with the Pike family, Ryan, Esposito, and desperately struggling to hide a smile, Kate Beckett.

A/N Castle always felt so sympathetic to the Pike family, I was sure that he'd find a way to help them. He also got his promised revenge on Lee Wax in the process. Now a Captain Pike in a wheelchair, Star Trek "Menagerie" anyone?


	69. Chapter 69

Moment in Time

Famous Last Words

"It's no wonder Hayley couldn't tell Bree why she ran away," Castle said.

"You see," Beckett explained to Montgomery, "she didn't have anyone to talk to, so she did the one thing she could. She wrote about it."

"You know," Castle mused, "it kind of reminds me of when I wrote 'When It Comes To Slaughter.'

It was in a time of my life when I was just, I was trying to work through..." Castle shut down as he caught the look on Beckett's face. "Not important."

* * *

Castle pulled a book from the shelf in his office, opening it to the dedication. "To the one red head in my life who is a constant when others flee." He replaced "When It Comes to Slaughter" in its slot and dug in the drawer of his desk for a battered hard cover notebook.

May 1, 1997

Meredith sent for the last of her things today. I should be relieved that I can finally close that chapter in my life - except for the alimony payments. How she got those when she was the one who cheated on me, I still don't understand, but then I could never say "no" to Meredith and I've never met anyone who could, not even the judge.

Mother is on tour again. I'm here with only Alexis to talk to and I don't want to give her bad feelings about her mother. I saw so many of my friends used as pawns in divorces when I was in school. They ended up hating one parent or another. It was cruel and unnecessary. As long as I can make it happen, my little girl will have joy in her eyes, no matter what her mother does. I will do what I have always done, banish the pain to the written page.

I'm trying to figure out a new plot. My victim will be a beautiful red headed actress. She will be fun and charming, but flighty and promiscuous. Guess who? What I have to figure out is who kills her and why. The obvious murderer would be a jealous ex-husband. Again, guess who? But that is too obvious and really only good as a red herring. What I really need is someone or something the reader would never suspect, and right now I can't think of one. All I really want to do is put my daughter on my lap and watch "General Hospital." Maybe I'll do that. They always have interesting if improbable plot twists.

Watching "General Hospital" didn't help. That's probably because Alexis threw up on me right in the middle of it. It was my fault. She begged for a second helping of chocolate ice cream and I couldn't say no, especially since I wanted one myself. If there was something that would have helped with my story, I missed it while I was cleaning up and changing both our clothes. Alexis really does look cute in the new outfit I put on her. She looks cute in everything. Now there's something to think about - a murderer who looks so cute nobody ever suspects them of anything, maybe a psychotic child.

May 5, 1997

It turned out it wasn't the chocolate ice cream that made Alexis puke. She caught some kind of a bug and then I caught it from her. It was a pretty miserable weekend. I didn't mind taking care of her but I wish I'd had someone to take care of me. I called Mother and she suggested a Bloody Mary, obviously assuming I was trying to cover up a hangover by saying I was sick. I wish! Well Alexis and I are both okay now, so I'm hoping to get something done.

I'm changing my idea for a psychotic child to someone who just looks like a child. I'm thinking of a nauseatingly cute adult who plays juveniles on TV. Maybe I could think up either some illegal treatment that keeps the villain young or possibly something from the occult. I'm not sure what direction I want to go in. Right now I'd love to write about demons, because I have so many, but I'm not sure it would make a good story. I'm going to outline it both ways and see how it goes.

May 6, 1997

I've decided on a villain who seems to be demon possessed, but it's going to turn out that she actually has a brain allergy to a medication she is taking to stave off aging. The allergy is causing psycho-motor seizures during which she commits heinous murders. She won't even remember committing them so she'll be able to pass a polygraph.

My hero will actually be someone who hunts down demon-possessed people, but when none of the usual signs are there, eventually begins to realize that something different is going on. Of course no one will believe him because he has the reputation of being mixed up with the occult and therefore crazy. I think I may make him a defrocked priest. Women are always hot for priests. They want to be the ones who will really show him heaven.

May 7, 1997

My heroine should be a psychiatrist, maybe a friend of one of the victims. She can meet up with our priestly hero when they are both investigating the slaughter. She should be on the fringes of her profession, attributing things that most other therapists still pin on childhood traumas, to biological causes. Of course she'll be right, and together she and our hero can uncover what's actually going on. I just have to figure out where to put the sex scenes. Funny, that's what usually gives me the least trouble. I guess I'll just have to make the shrink so hot that I'd want to have sex with her. That usually does the trick.

May 8, 1997

Yeah I want to have sex with the shrink - because I'm in love with her. She is tall, beautiful, and obviously smart. Since she has been rebuffed so may times by her own colleagues, she has great compassion, but in her own way, she really kicks butt. I'd be toast if I actually ever met a woman like that, but I doubt that I ever will. She's definitely the product of my imagination.

Right now I have to go check on the real love of my life. It is way too quiet in here.


	70. Chapter 70

Moment in Time

Suckerpunch

From the Journal of James Beckett

January 16, 2010

Dear Johanna,

I had a meeting with Katie today that scared me to death. New evidence has been discovered in your murder. I already knew that the bastard who took your life had taken others. Richard Castle uncovered that information, information Katie did not want to hear, and brought it to her. It put Katie in a tailspin. She pushed everyone away, even me. She was so furious at Castle that I thought she'd never speak to him again. I don't know what he finally did or said, but they seem to have patched things up. It's funny. She acts like she can't stand him, but she talks about him all the time. It's like when she was a little girl and didn't want to admit she liked Timmy Shaeffer, so she hit him with her backpack. The information that came out today actually grew out of what Castle found earlier. A new murder has been committed, apparently unrelated to yours, but by the same killer. It was uncovered by the forensic pathologist Castle had worked with previously. Katie's friend Lanie called him in when she had suspicions of her own. You were killed by a contract killer. Someone paid to see you and the others dead. Our Katie is shaken to her core. You always said that life never delivers anything we can't handle. I hope you were right, my love. Coming out of the academy Katie was so obsessed with your case that it almost destroyed her. I don't think I could bear to see her go through that again. I don't know how she'd survive it. I take comfort in knowing she is not alone. She'll have support from Lanie, from Captain Montgomery and everyone at the precinct, and I'm sure from Castle. I don't think she'd ever admit it, but I think what she gets from Castle will matter the most. I hope to God it's enough.

Forever love,

JB

January 17, 2010

Dear Johanna,

Your killer's name is Rathborne. Katie still has no idea who hired him, but a plan is in place to catch him and find out. The plan required $100,000, which the NYPD was not willing to kick in, but Richard Castle was. I'm amazed by that. He was willing to spend that for Katie, so she could catch your killer. That can't just be about curiosity or research for a book. He must really care about our little girl. I wonder if she can see it. If she can, she certainly hasn't let on. I'm praying the plan works and no one is hurt, not even Rathborne. Katie needs to take him alive so he can tell her what monster paid him to take you from us. If there is something you can do, now would be the time.

Forever love,

JB

Jamuary 18, 2010

Dear Johanna,

There was no Rathborne. The only way things could have gone more wrong, is if Katie had been hurt. Thankfully she wasn't, at least not physically. Your murderer was a man named Dick Coonan. He actually killed his own brother, initiating the investigation that uncovered the ties to your case. It is hard to conceive of the evil that would make a man do such a thing. He managed to fool Katie, Captain Montgomery, Castle, and the whole NYPD into setting a trap for a nonexistent killer, and bought himself transactional immunity in the process. He almost got away with it, but our Katie figured it out and confronted him. Unfortunately he grabbed a gun from another cop and took Castle hostage. From what I heard, Castle broke away, but Katie still had to shoot Coonan to keep him from killing Castle. Katie tried to revive him, but Coonan died before he could tell Katie who hired him. I know Katie would give anything to have been able to wound Coonan, but not deliver a mortal shot. She needs to know who was behind your murder. It has created a hole in her soul that sucks the life from her. I pray that wound can be closed. I have a feeling that the person who might be able to do it, is Richard Castle, if only she'll let him.

Forever love,

JB

January 22, 2010

Dear Johanna,

I had dinner with Katie last night. We found a place that has hotdogs almost as good as the ones at the stadium. They also have the strawberry shakes that she loves so much. She told me she found out about it from Castle when he brought some dogs from there to her at the precinct. She had a smile on her face when she said it. I'd call that progress. She told me she was working on a new case. She usually is. She also told me that Lanie has been badgering her about getting fixed up. I don't think Katie was too impressed with the idea of a blind date, but she seems to be thinking of sticking her head out of her burrow again, and that's a good thing. She still doesn't seem to be able, or more likely want, to see what's right in front of her, Richard Castle. I know he is a large part of her life, even though I've never met him. Katie may just be afraid that if she lets herself really feel anything, that she'd have to feel the pain of loss too. I understand that too well. It's why I crawled into the bottle when you died. But Katie's love is what got me out of the bottle and I'm hoping someone's love will pull her out of her hiding place.

It's only January and I'm getting anxious for spring. It's not just a matter of the New York winter. It really isn't that bad this year. Well you know what I miss, baseball. I want an excuse to get out in the air, eat an overpriced stadium hotdog and forget the law for a few hours. I would really love to take Katie somewhere she can yell at someone besides a suspect. I've always loved to see her cut loose. It doesn't happen nearly enough these days.

I have another class action suit, which means endless files to review. I'll see Katie as much as I can, or as much as she'll let me. I'm hoping that she will be under you're loving eyes as well.

Forever love,

JB

A/N A huge thank you to all my reviewers. You are beyond kind.


	71. Chapter 71

Moment in Time

The Mistress Always Spanks Twice

A/N This chapter contains no sex, violence, or explicit language. It does, however, deal with some of the same subject matter as the original episode. If that is a problem for you, skip it. There will be a new chapter tomorrow.

Beckett examined the sticky body. "Bondage cuffs, custom made," she observed. "Looks like our killer liked public play."

"How can you tell the difference between custom and regular?" Castle asked.

"The leather is too high quality to be mass produced," Beckett answered, "and it's hand stitched."

"No, I mean how can _you_ tell the difference," Castle persisted, but Beckett just gave him a knowing smile.

Lanie grabbed at Beckett's arm. "Girlfriend, this is a story you're going to have to tell me."

"Drinks later," Beckett agreed reluctantly.

Beckett had already found a private booth in the back of the Blue Line Bar, when Lanie met her. They both ordered beers and Beckett munched nervously on a bowl of pretzels.

"Give, girl," Lanie ordered.

"It's probably not as interesting as you think," Beckett told her.

"I'll be the judge of that," Lanie replied, her head moving back and forth on her neck. "Spill it!"

"It goes back to just after I made detective," Beckett explained, "before I was assigned to homicide. Vice was doing an investigation into the purveyors of bondage, the shops that sold the toys and the entrepreneurs that used them. They were trying to get something on Dungeon Alley. They set up a front, a sex emporium called Whipped Cream and decided to put me behind the counter. You know me. I have a pretty open mind about what goes on between consenting adults, but I knew nothing about this stuff. I had to do some research."

"Just how did you do that?" Lanie asked.

"The Vice cops were actually very helpful," Beckett explained. "They had a whole collection of stuff they got off of working girls they arrested. They showed it to me and told me what it was for. It was very educational."

"I bet," Lanie commented.

"There was also a huge amount of information on line. I could have spent my life reading that stuff and only gotten through a fraction of it. But I got enough of a background to be convincing."

Lanie gave Beckett the look. "Convincing at what?"

"Pretending to be an expert at bondage. I was dressed as a dominatrix."

Lanie leaned forward. "How?"

"The usual," Beckett responded, casually, "leather bustier, boots with six inch spikes. I also had huge nails. Those were acrylic, I could never grow them that long. Vice got one of the women they were using as a CI to give me a makeover, hair, eyes, lips. If the number of excuses the Vice cops found to hang around meant anything, I looked pretty hot."

"Of course you did!" Lanie opined. "If Castle ever saw you like that his eyes would fall out of his head and his tongue would be on the floor."

"Well he's never going to," Beckett insisted vehemently. "He's enough of a pain already."

Lanie nodded skeptically. "Uh hmm. So what happened?"

"Well I worked behind the counter at Whipped Cream for about a week," Beckett continued. "Then a guy came in who had an operation in Dungeon Alley. He called his place A Cup of S&M."

Lanie rolled her eyes. "Cute."

"Not really," Beckett replied. "There were a lot of clients who really wanted to be hurt. I think some of them really needed therapy, and not the sexual kind. Anyway this guy, his name was Jerry, wanted me to work for him, and that was what Vice wanted, a person on the inside."

"You were a dominatrix!" Lanie exclaimed.

"Ssshh, Lanie, no. Jerry asked me to observe his girls for a few days, to get the hang of it. He also wanted me to create a persona."

"What persona?" Lanie asked.

"What else? I became a cop. My uniform was a lot shorter and a lot tighter, but it was blue. I had a nightstick and cuffs, of course. I was supposed to browbeat clients into confessing their sins. If they were really bad, I could tie them up, put shackles on them, or any number of other fantasies. I think Jerry might even have wanted me to tase them, but I steered away from that."

"But you never actually did any of it?" Lanie asked.

Beckett was silent.

"Kate?" Lanie prompted.

"Jerry actually had me try it out on him. He wanted the whole interrogation scenario, handcuffed to a chair with bright lights shining in his face. He didn't even want the kind of padded cuffs we sold at Whipped Cream. He wanted the real thing. I created an imaginary crime and threw questions at him for hours. He begged to be let go, but I wouldn't let him free. At one point I threw a bucket of cold water in his face. It was kind of like a bad fifties movie."

"What did Jerry think of it?" Lanie asked.

"Oh he loved it!" Beckett replied. "that's probably why he had such an understanding for his clients. He played in the same ball park. He wanted me to start using it on customers the next day."

"So what did you do?" Lanie asked.

"I reported back to Vice. They couldn't actually find anything illegal in what I'd seen, so they told me to decline his offer and get my butt out of there. They put me back at Whipped Cream for a while. Eventually they realized they weren't going to get anything useable out of the operation and closed it down. I had already applied for homicide, so I went and started training under Captain Montgomery as soon a Vice was finished with me."

"So you never actually whipped anyone?" Lanie asked.

"No," Beckett replied, "not that I haven't been tempted a few times in the last year."

Lanie laughed. "You mean Castle?"

Beckett nodded. "He does get on my nerves."

"On your nerves, nothing, girlfriend!" Lanie retorted. "He gets under your skin, and I think you'd like him to get under something else, you're just too stubborn to admit it."

"There's nothing to admit," Beckett protested, taking a large gulp of her now warm beer. "He's an immature, self-centered, egotistical brat and I wish he'd find someone else to annoy."

"Fine," Lanie told her. "I might just try to get him to base his next book on me."

Beckett choked, almost spitting beer in Lanie's face. "What! Lanie, I guarantee, you don't want to do that. Besides, there's already a series of books about a medical examiner, and about three TV shows."

Lanie smiled to herself. "All right girl," she assured Beckett, "Writer Boy is all yours."


End file.
